Dr Padraic Kenna from the School of Law in NUI Galway has drafted legislation on housing rights which can be used by human rights advocates and legislators to integrate the right to housing into a binding national law.

Dr Kenna drafted the Model Emergency Housing Legislation with the Open Society Justice Initiative in New York, as well as international housing rights experts.

It is based on existing laws around the world, but builds on these to include housing rights for all

New report

To coincide with the release of the legislation, a new report, called Protecting the Right to Housing during the COVID-19 Crisis, examines the housing measures taken by countries across the world during the pandemic.

In Ireland, these included a rent freeze, a ban on evictions and mortgage breaks for homeowners.

Dr Kenna said, however, that we now needed to build on those protections due to the continuing economic effects of COVID-19.

“This model emergency housing legislation addresses rented and mortgaged housing, but also housing rights protection for people in informal and temporary settlements, migrant and refugee housing, housing for people with disabilities and those facing homelessness,” he said.

“These are often the people who are most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 due to poor sanitation and overcrowding.”

Catalyst

Marguerite Angelari, senior legal officer with the Open Society Justice Initiative, was also involved in the drafting of the model legislation.

She said she hoped the initiative would act as a catalyst for the acceptance of comprehensive legislation to ensure the right to housing is protected.

The Open Society Justice Initiative is part of the Open Society Foundations founded by investor George Soros.