DI Digest Idea 5 May 96

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LitScan Press Review

5.	House Thyself
	In the pantheon of human rights, the right to a roof over one's head may not be right up there with things like freedom of religion or speech. But for the many millions of homeless around the world, the right to a secure place to live is a pre-requisite to many more commonly recognized rights - like the right to life or property. Without adequate housing, it's hard to find a livelihood, or safety, or access to education, civic services, health care or even drinkable water. It is for these and other reasons that the right to housing has long been affirmed in international human rights documents ranging from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (see DI LitScan). Yet an upcoming UN summit on human settlements (Habitat II) may see a retreat on the idea of a distinct right for housing, thanks to objections from a handful of unconvinced governments like the USA and India. Their worry is that a right to housing could be interpreted in the law courts as a way for citizens to sue their states for housing. The reality, however, is that when the poor lack adequate housing it is usually because they are in need of access to materials, credit or land. Many housing campaigners would be ecstatic if governments just tried to make it easier for the homeless to help themselves. Regardless, Habitat II could undermine one of the central pillars of sound community development. Stay posted for reversals on this position as the stakes rise and an international petition receives increasing attention. [proposal for housing as a human right]
	housing rights n. the right to housing as a public entitlement living rights n. the right to access to the means of housing oneself
	United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and International Labour Office. Shelter Provision and Employment Generation. Geneva: United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, 1995. 248p.
NOT HOT -	Pet Shelters Before People Shelters & Other Misinterpretations
	IISD's Information Centre was shocked to find that a literature search on the term 'shelter' turned up plenty of information on pet shelters, but much less on anything to do with sheltering the homeless. Of course, much has been written on homelessness. It just seems that terms relating to shelter are often misconstrued. Take for instance the different interpretations of housing vs. living rights at the Habitat II summit (see Word Watch above). What a pity it would be if governments failed to take action on improving their people's ability to house themselves out of far-flung fears that states could get stuck with the building costs.
*Virtual Ideas*	Up-to-date coverage of the Habitat II negotiations Property Rights vs. Living Rights - a People-Centred Development Forum feature