The Right to Adequate Housing in International Human Rights Law: Polish Transformation Experiences

Revista Latinoamericana de Derechos Humanos, Vol. 22, 2011, pp. 219-241.

23 Pages Posted: 24 Mar 2012 Last revised: 19 May 2015

Date Written: August 19, 2011

Abstract

Housing rights are currently one of the most fundamental social and economic human rights. It is the duty of every country to implement regulations protecting and empowering such rights for the sake of its citizens, irrespective of its economic development, political situation, or social status. Appropriate living conditions determine, in fact, the possibility of making use of other, more advanced human rights (e.g. the right to health, right to development, right to peace, or access to culture). The right to adequate housing becomes increasingly problematic for developing countries. According to the United Nations, there are over 100 million homeless people worldwide and more than 1 billion inadequately housed. Housing problems can also be observed in many developed countries throughout the world. Ongoing transformations of economic, political and social patterns extremely often lead to marginalization of its citizens, or groups of immigrants in the context of housing rights. Poland is an example of a country particularly affected by housing problems since the Second World War. Experiences of Polish democratic transformation after 1989, therefore, provide interesting lessons (and warnings) for all countries wishing to deal with the social problems arising from housing difficulties.

Keywords: human rights, housing, international law, politics, transformation, Poland

Suggested Citation

Terminski, Bogumil, The Right to Adequate Housing in International Human Rights Law: Polish Transformation Experiences (August 19, 2011). Revista Latinoamericana de Derechos Humanos, Vol. 22, 2011, pp. 219-241. , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2026699

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