Over the last few years the Mercy Foundation has advocated for the human right to housing. A rights based approach moves the conversation away from housing as an investment to housing as a fundamental right, accessible to all.
This brief from AHURI explains how the right to housing is understood in Australian and international law.
In 1980, the Australian Government ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Under the ICESCR, governments recognise the right of everyone to adequate housing and must take appropriate steps to ensure the realisation of this right.
Australia is unlike many other countries as it does not have a national human rights act or charter. There is no law that enshrines the right to adequate housing in Australia. Other countries have recognised this right and enforced it through legal or programmatic approaches. You can find out more and read the brief here.
