Background

Housing affordability - a key element of the right to adequate housing – has become key concern for more and more people, including political decision makers at local, national and international level. 

Many urban areas have witnessed a sharp increase of housing costs outstripping the income of households. Millions living in informal or inadequate housing continue to lack the financial resources to access adequate housing meeting official building standards. Families go hungry or cut on health expenditures to pay rent, mortgages or utility charges.  Unpaid housing costs have become the most prominent reason for evictions in many countries.

Lack of accessible affordable housing is the main reason for the growth of informal settlements and increased homelessness. Dramatically rises in energy costs have sharply increased energy poverty and housing costs in many countries. Rising inflation has turned an already serious problem into a housing affordability crisis of global dimensions.

Key questions asked

The report “A place to live in dignity for all, make housing affordable” will aim to respond to the following questions:

• What obligations have States under international human rights law to ensure that housing is accessible and affordable to all without discrimination?
• What happens to you when you cannot afford anymore your home?
• Who is at particular risk to experience housing cost overburden?
• What are the consequences of housing unaffordability for the enjoyment of human rights?
• What have States, local Governments, development cooperation agencies, housing providers, town planners, architects and civil society organizations done to ensure that housing is affordable to all without any discrimination?
• What laws, policies, programmes and practices have been successful to reduce the unaffordability of housing?

Questionnaire

In order to collect more detailed information for his forthcoming report, the Special Rapporteur has published a short questionnaire available in English, Français, Español.