Housing
Housing, a fundamental human right
“Where housing is lacking, all other rights begin to falter.”
Decent housing underpins access to health, education, work and social life. True to its humanist and universalist calling, the Foundation makes housing one of its lines of commitment : informing the debate, documenting inadequate housing and exclusion, and supporting those who act on the ground.
“Like Jimmy Carter, I want to do everything I can, wherever I am, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try to make a difference on the question of access to housing.”
Our commitment
A right at the heart of dignity
The right to adequate housing is not a favour : it is a recognised component of human rights, guaranteed by foundational texts and monitored by international mechanisms. The Foundation draws on this bedrock to look rigorously at situations of inadequate housing, rental exclusion and homelessness.
The Foundation also has the vocation to sustain the handling of this question beyond individuals : as an institution, it intends to carry this commitment over the long term, independently of the individuals who lead it today.
Legal and institutional grounding
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights — art. 25 (right to an adequate standard of living, including housing). Read
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights — art. 11 (right to adequate housing). Read
- European Social Charter — art. 31 (right to housing). Read
- Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — art. 34 (housing assistance and the fight against exclusion). Read
Monitoring mechanisms
- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN) reviews States' implementation of the Covenant. Learn more
- The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing raises alerts and issues recommendations. Learn more
- Collective complaints before the European Committee of Social Rights (Council of Europe) make it possible to have breaches recognised.
Belgian and Luxembourg grounding
As a foundation under Belgian law, attentive to its regional environment, the Foundation pays particular attention to the Belgian and Luxembourg frameworks.
- Belgium — Constitution, art. 23: the right to lead a life in keeping with human dignity, including “the right to decent housing”. Read
- Belgium — regional housing codes: as housing is a regional competence, the Brussels Housing Code, the Walloon Sustainable Housing Code and the Flemish Housing Code (Vlaamse Codex Wonen) set the rules.
- Luxembourg — Law of 25 February 1979 on housing aid and the Housing Pact 2.0 (Law of 30 December 2021), which organise support and the development of affordable housing. Read
Elsewhere in Europe
The concrete reach of the right to housing varies widely from one country to another : from an enforceable right to housing (DALO, in France) to more limited frameworks elsewhere. The Foundation intends to document and compare these approaches to inform the debate.
Publications
Our research
The Foundation will publish thematic briefing notes, territorial case studies conducted with researchers and universities, and, where data allow, periodic barometers.
Planned themes : homelessness · inadequate housing · rental exclusion · housing of migrants · substandard housing · energy poverty.
Field & news
In dialogue with associations
Because nothing replaces the voice of front-line actors, the Foundation will give the field a hearing : "voices from the field" interviews, write-ups of round tables and seminars, and a map of the community initiatives it supports or identifies as inspiring.
Resources
Documentary library
A selection of references organised by sub-theme, set to grow : international texts, case law, reports and an annotated bibliography.
Reference texts
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 25)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 11)
- European Social Charter (art. 31)
- Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (art. 34)