United Nations committee urges human rights‑based housing strategy
Australia is facing heightened international pressure to tackle its housing crisis after a major United Nations (UN) review called for a national, human rights‑based housing strategy and stronger social supports.
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has released its latest assessment of Australia’s performance, highlighting access to secure and affordable housing as a central concern alongside poverty and income support. The committee’s Concluding Observations, issued after a February hearing in Geneva, urge the Federal Government to adopt a national Human Rights Act and to embed housing as a core right in domestic policy.
Housing sits at the top of three priority areas on which Canberra must report back to the UN within 24 months. The committee has asked for: reforms to the Modern Slavery Act to introduce mandatory human rights due diligence; a national poverty strategy; and a human rights‑based national housing strategy that addresses affordability, security of tenure and access to essential services.
“These findings set out a compelling agenda for action,” said Hugh de Kretser (pictured right), president of the Australian Human Rights Commission. “The UN Committee has shown where Australia can and must do better to ensure everyone’s basic rights are respected and upheld.”
The review comes as rising interest rates, tight rental markets and cost‑of‑living pressures weigh on households and borrowers, sharpening the focus on how public policy supports those at greatest risk of housing stress.
“As Australians continue to face cost of living pressures, this offers a clear roadmap for how we can better protect people who doing it tough,” de Kretser said. “Access to secure and affordable housing, fair income support and essential services are central to building a more inclusive and resilient Australia.”
The UN committee’s findings are grounded in Australia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which covers standards of living, social security, health, education, work conditions, environmental quality and cultural life, and requires that these rights be realised without discrimination and with continuous improvement.
“The Committee has outlined practical reforms that would improve lives, from stronger social supports to a fair climate transition,” de Kretser said. “Acting on these recommendations will help create a fairer and more cohesive society,” de Kretser said.
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