Local governments and "The Shift" (Right to Housing and the United Nations)

The Shift is a global movement for the right to housing launched by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing with the support of the OHCHR. Our Committee has supported local government participation in the Shift since its launch in 2016, and now works with UCLG in fostering new commitments and partnerships between the Shift and the “Cities for Adequate Housing” Declaration.

The Shift aims to “reclaim and realize the fundamental human right to housing, moving away from housing as a place to park excess of capital, to housing as a place to live in dignity”. To do so, it aims at gathering a wide coalition of stakeholders, from government level to international organizations, civil society and housing developers and cooperatives.

The UN Special Rapporteur sees in local governments a key stakeholder for effectively shifting the way "we think and interact with housing and home". In her annual report A/HRC/28/62, she specifically assessed the responsibilities of local and other subnational governments in relation to the right to adequate housing, and published a guide to support them in its implementation.

From Habitat III to the launching of the Cities for Adequate Housing declaration, local governments in the framework of our Committee and UCLG have played a key role in consolidating and promoting the Shift. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing has therefore taken part in many events organized by local governments committed to the right to housing and vice-versa, with the OHCHR encouraging local governments task in favour of the right to housing.

See related meetings, events or informations:

• The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing publishes a new report on the Right to Housing and Access to Justice (March 2019)
• In Vienna, European cities call on the EU to ensure powers and resources for social housing (December 2018)
• Members of the Committee advance dialogue on local governments' role in promoting and protecting human rights with OHCHR’s Deputy High Commissioner (October 2018)
• Right to Housing and Right to the City: Cities from across the world come together to launch a common message (July 2018)
• A global call to implement housing strategies from a human rights-based perspective (March 2018)
• UCLG brings the voice of local and regional governments calling for rights-based housing strategies at the UN Human Rights Council (March 2018)
• Madrid Meeting of Cities for the Right to Housing (January 2018)
• Cities and regions for the Right to Housing (November 2017)
• UCLG renews its commitment to drive forward “The Shift” to housing as a human right (July 2017)
• The latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing denounces the impact of financialization of housing on human rights (March 2017)
• At the UCLG Congress and Habitat III, Local Governments and Civil Society enhance the global agenda for the Right to the City (October 2016)

In case you are interested in knowing more about the Shift or ways to join as local government, we invite you to contact our Executive Secretariat