International Instruments on Housing Rights

Abstract

Housing rights can act to guarantee minimum housing provision for poor and deprived persons, based on respect for human dignity. These rights are now established within many international public law instruments and treaties, as well as national constitutions, laws and curial jurisprudence. There is a growing corpus of law giving greater definition and clarification to state obligations, and the nature and extent of housing rights. Housing rights discourse is expanding from shelter and social housing toward embracing all elements of housing systems, including housing as property, housing finance, infrastructure, environmental, and regulation systems. But beyond regulation of these elements, can these housing rights be integrated into a template for the governance of overall housing systems in the new era of regulation of housing and finance markets?