UK 'Breaching Human Rights' Over Housing

The UK is in breach of its international human rights duties by failing to provide people with adequate homes in the face of a severe housing crisis, leading charities have claimed. A reduction in social housing in England and inadequate, unaffordable rental accommodation in the private sector is driving a growing number of families into homelessness, the organisations warn in a report. Produced by the group Just Fair, whose members include Crisis, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Save the Children and UNICEF UK, the report argues that the fact the number of individuals forced to sleep rough has risen by 55% since 2010 - with 280,000 households at risk of homelessness - is a breach of the UK's international obligations. Read more on the Sky News website.

UK Housing Crisis 'In Breach of Human Rights'

The UK is in breach of its own United Nations human rights commitment to provide people with adequate homes because the housing crisis is so serious, a consortium of leading housing charities has warned. They cite soaring housing rental costs, unhealthy conditions in homes, and rising levels of homelessness and warn of “profound issues of lack of supply, increasing housing costs, lack of security of tenure and homes of such poor quality that they are unfit for habitation”. Called Just Fair, the group’s members include Crisis, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Save the Children and Unicef UK. Their document describes the right to housing in England as in “crisis”. Download a copy of the report from the Just Fair website.