The right to housing should be enshrined as a human right in Australian law, a new report says.
The Right to Housing in Australia, commissioned by the Human Rights Law Centre, was released yesterday and focuses on how an Australian Human Rights Act would place the right to housing at the centre of government laws, policies and services.
Authored by Professor Jessie Hohmann from the University of Technology Sydney’s Faculty of Law, the report distinguishes between housing rights, and the right to housing as a human right.
“Some elements of peoples’ housing are protected in domestic law,” the report stated.
“This occurs through property, planning, taxation, child protection, social security, and pensions laws. Protection in the courts takes place through existing anti-discrimination laws, through state level human rights protections, and through judges interpreting Australia’s laws in conformity with its international human rights obligations.
“However, these current protections are patchy, may only be available in some states or territories, and are often weak or limited.”
The report makes recommendations including the passage of a federal Human Rights Act and state and territory Human Rights Acts or Charters; reforms to state and territory legislation; and actions from governments across Australia to improve housing supply and affordability.
Read it here.
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