Law, Society and the Right to Housing

From the very first negotiations of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights half a century ago up until this day, socio-economic rights have often been regarded as less enforceable than civil and political rights. The right to adequate housing, even though protecting one of the most basic needs of human beings, has not escaped this classification. Despite its strong foundations in international, regional, and domestic legislation, many people are still deprived of one or more of the different key elements that comprise adequate housing.

How then develop international human rights theory and case law into effective vehicles at the domestic level? Rather than focusing merely on possibilities for individualized relief through the court system, "Law, Society and the Right to Housing" looks into more effective socio-economic rights realization by addressing both conceptual and practical stumbling blocks that hinder a more structural progress at the national level. The Flemish and Belgian housing legislation and policy are used to highlight the problems and illustrate the pathways here presented.

While first and foremost legal in its approach, the book also offers a more sociological perspective on the functioning of the right to housing in practice. It shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students in the fields of international socio-economic rights law and human rights law more in general.

Nico Moons is Doctor of Law at the University of Antwerp, Belgium