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.
A wealthy family in the UK were charged with exploitation of workers, in what amounts to a case of domestic servitude. The family employed domestic workers for their Swiss property where they ceased their passports, restricted their movements, grossly underpaid them for their work and forced them to work 18 hours per day.
Exploitation of domestic workers is not uncommon especially in foreign embassies. Listen to an interview about this case with Fiona David, founder of Fair Futures and architect of the Global Slavery Index here.
Read more about domestic servitude in Australia and Heather Moore’s research on this topic here.
We applaud the private members bill put forward by Kylea Tink, Federal Member for North Sydney and Senator David Pocock to reframe housing as a human right, mandating the Federal Government to make a long term plan to transform the housing system.
The proposed bill would require current and future governments to develop, implement and maintain a 10-year National Housing and Homelessness Plan in line with legislated objectives, including improving housing supply, affordability and ending homelessness. At its heart is the goal of ensuring everyone in Australia has an adequate home.
Over the last few years the Mercy Foundation has advocated for a rights based approach to housing. Homes are meant to be safe, secure and nurturing places where kids can do homework, play and thrive; where families create lasting memories over shared meals; where grandparents can pass down stories to younger generations; a place where we feel safe.
Homes are not meant to be an income generating asset in an investment portfolio for the wealthy.
Professor Jessie Hohmann is a leading expert on the right to housing. Jessie developed the booklet ‘ The right to housing: A Guide for Civil Society’ to help us advocate for housing as a human right. You can download a copy of the guide here.
We all know too well the damaging human cost when our right to housing is breached.
In May, The Lancet ran an article highlighting the inextricable link between housing and health. The article emphasised that adequate housing is a human right. Adequate means that homes need good ventilation, moisture control, heating and cooling, and insulation to mitigate dampness, mould, indoor air pollution, and extreme temperature exposure. Adequate and healthy homes reduce the risk of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health disorders.
The article highlights the need for health care professionals to screen for both housing instability and poor housing conditions as a determinant of health.
The article challenges all of us to demand more and healthier housing.
“As a human right, housing demands greater prioritisation. Advocacy, including from the medical and public health sectors, must drive systemic change. With urban populations set to more than double by 2050, coupled with rising housing costs, worsening climate change, ongoing conflicts, and natural disasters, the need for adequate housing will keep growing, widening health inequities. Making housing a priority public health intervention not only presents a pivotal opportunity, but a moral imperative. The health of our communities depends on it.”
Read the full article here:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00914-0
Yesterday, 28 May 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023 that paves the way for the appointment of Australia’s first National Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
This appointment recognises the need for Australia to have an independent Commissioner to lead our country’s efforts in addressing and preventing modern slavery, and more importantly, to provide assistance and support for victims and survivors of modern slavery.
The Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner) Bill 2023 amends the Modern Slavery Act 2018 to establish the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner as an independent statutory office holder within the Attorney-General’s portfolio to provide an independent mechanism for victims and survivors, business and civil society to engage on issues and strategies to address modern slavery.
The Mercy Foundation has joined with many civil society organisations in calling for the establishment of a National Commissioner and we congratulate all whose efforts have resulted in this landmark legislation.
Read the announcement here.
The NSW Street Count was completed between 1 February and 1 March this year. The findings show on increase of 26% in rough sleeping, compared to the 2023 count.
A total of 2,037 people were counted as sleeping rough in the 2024 Street Count. 348 people were counted as sleeping rough in the Byron Shire, an increase of 16%. Byron Shire accounts for the largest cohort of rough sleepers in NSW.
In the City of Sydney, 280 people were counted as sleeping rough, an increase of 1% on the year prior.
The largest increase in rough sleepers was Coffs Harbour, where the count increased from 82 to 147 people over 12 months.
This alarming increase in numbers indicates the daunting challenges people on low incomes face in securing affordable, safe, long term housing.
Download the 2024 NSW Street Count here.
The European Parliament has given its final approval to a new regulation enabling the EU to prohibit the sale, import, and export of goods made using forced labour.
Member state authorities and the European Commission will be able to investigate suspicious goods, supply chains, and manufacturers. If a product is deemed to have been made using forced labour, it will no longer be possible to sell it on the EU market (including online) and shipments will be intercepted at the EU’s borders.
Rapporteur for the International Trade committee, Samira Rafaela (Renew, NL) said: “This is a historic day. We have adopted a ground-breaking piece of legislation to combat forced labour worldwide. This regulation fosters EU and international cooperation, shifts power from exploiters to consumers and employees, and offers possibilities for remedy for victims. It also transforms trade policies into a greener and fairer future.”
The regulation was adopted with 555 votes in favour, 6 votes against and 45 abstentions. The text now has to get a final formal approval from the EU Council. It will then be published in the Official Journal. EU countries will have to start applying it in 3 years.
Source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20551/products-made-with-forced-labour-to-be-banned-from-eu-single-market
Further important news from the European Parliament is the approval of the Due Diligence Directive, agreed on with the Council, requiring firms and their upstream and downstream partners, including supply, production and distribution to prevent, end or mitigate their adverse impact on human rights and the environment. Such impact will include slavery, child labour, labour exploitation, biodiversity loss, pollution or destruction of natural heritage.
Following the plenary vote, lead MEP Lara Wolters (S&D, NL) said: “Today’s vote is a milestone for responsible business conduct and a considerable step towards ending the exploitation of people and the planet by cowboy companies. This law is a hard-fought compromise and the result of many years of tough negotiations. I am proud of what we have achieved with our progressive allies. In Parliament’s next mandate, we will fight not only for its swift implementation, but also for making Europe’s economy even more sustainable.”
Source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20585/due-diligence-meps-adopt-rules-for-firms-on-human-rights-and-environment
Anglicare Australia’s Rental Affordability Snapshot 2024 surveyed over 45,000 rental across Australia and found that affordability has dropped to record lows.
Out of 45,115 rental listings,
- 289 rentals (0.6%) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage
- 89 rentals (0.2%) were affordable for a person on the Age Pension
- 31 rentals (0.1%) were affordable for a person on the Disability Support Pension
- 3 rentals, (0%) all sharehouses, were affordable for a person on JobSeeker
- 0 rentals (0%) were affordable for a person on Youth Allowance.
The report’s introduction paints a grim and harrowing picture of rental affordability:
The worst it has ever been.
That is the only way to describe the current state of rental affordability in
Australia. The stark reality facing people on low incomes is that they will not find an affordable place
to live, that families will be evicted because another rent increase will push them beyond the limit,
and for those fortunate enough to find a home, they will be forced to choose between putting food
on the table and staying warm this winter or keeping a roof over their head.
This report will mark the fifteenth edition of Anglicare Australia’s Rental Affordability Snapshot. What
we have found is nothing short of horrifying.
Decades of housing policy failure has led us to this crisis point and there are no signs of the crisis abating.
Living without a stable, affordable home is detrimental to every aspect of one’s life – health, security, employment, education, relationships and more. That’s why housing is a fundamental human right.
All of us are responsible, particularly all levels of government, for ensuring that safe and secure housing is available for all who need it.
