Housing is a human right, but not free housing

Stuff reports:

Housing is a human right, and the current and future Governments should use all available resources to tackle the housing crisis, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission says.

It has released its final report after a two-year housing inquiry.

The report makes six recommendations including committing to legislative recognition of the right to a decent home, integrating the right to a decent home into policymaking, appointing human rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity officers in housing agencies, and strengthening accountability across the housing system.

Amazing – two years looking at housing and they have nothing to say on what drives up house prices – land restrictions.

Let’s look at what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says on housing:

• Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
• No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
• Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services

So what it says is you should have the right to own property, a right not have it taken off you arbitrarily and a right to a standard of living adequate to afford housing.

That does not mean the Government has to own or even provide housing. It means that people should have an adequate standard of living so they can afford housing.