New UN resolution on adequate housing adopted

At its Forty-ninth session, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to non-discrimination in this

Context[1]. It was initiated by various countries, a big part of them EU member states. The Council welcomed the work of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context and took note of his reports, including his most recent report on discrimination, spatial segregation and the right to adequate housing.

Among other requests, the resolution calls upon States to; 

• Adopt domestic legislation and administrative orders giving full effect to the right to adequate housing and redress for violations of that right;  
• Promote the establishment of non-judicial mechanisms, such as equality bodies, ombudspersons, civil society organisations and national human rights institutions, that have the competence to investigate individual and collective complaints of housing discrimination; 
• Take the measures necessary to curb factors that result in a lack of affordable housing, such as housing speculation and the “financialization of housing”;  
• Ensure that evictions are consistent with the principles of legality, proportionality and necessity and comply with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, with full respect for due process and human dignity, and avoid disproportionate and unnecessary use of force;  

• Take all measures necessary to eliminate legislation that criminalizes homelessness, and to take positive measures with a view to prevent and eliminate homelessness by adopting and implementing laws, administrative orders, cross-sectional strategies and programmes at all levels.  
• Integrate the right to adequate housing into the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Interesting to note is that quite a few of the initiators of the resolution from EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Netherlands and Romania) currently actively criminalise homelessness at either local or national level and lack strategies in place. This could make the resolution all the more important.  Their call to curb the financialization of housing, recognising it as a real threat to the right to adequate housing could also be of importance.