The Shift – The Shift is a worldwide movement to reclaim and realize the fundamental human right to housing

The Shift Directives

This trailblazing comprehensive framework, which debuted at European Parliament in 2022, offers governments and investors a roadmap to effectively combat housing financialization while upholding human rights. Read The Shift Directives and envision a world where housing is first and foremost a place for living and building a life – not a tool for making money.

Read The Directives /

Climate & the Right to Housing

Real estate investment has transformed into an extractive industry that, through ever-increasing profit margins, incentivizes the construction of housing, increasingly consuming greenhouse gas emissions, while driving up rents and increasing housing costs. Learn more about what The Shift is doing to uphold housing as a fundamental human right, while centralizing the health of our environment.

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The Right to Housing: A Mission-Oriented and Human Rights-Based Approach

In a groundbreaking new paper, Global Director of The Shift, Leilani Farha, join forces with renowned economist Mariana Mazzucato, propelling the mission for housing rights forward like the iconic journey to the moon.

READ THE PAPER /

The global movement to secure the human right to housing.

Learn more about the #Right2Housing and how you can join our global movement.

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PUSH: The Film

In cities all over the world, finding safe, affordable housing is becoming more and more difficult. At first glance you might think it's gentrification, but there's something much deeper at work.

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Global Homelessness Action

As of today, 150 million people around the world are living in homelessness. The Shift has collaborated with more than 30 organizations from 20 countries around the world to amplify the voices of people living in homelessness through the Global Homelessness Action. Help hold governments accountable by signing the petition today.

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Shift Cities

Our latest project aims to operationalize the right to housing at the local level in cities around the world.

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FINANCIALIZATION

HOMELESSNESS

CLIMATE

THE SHIFT IN ACTION

PUSHBACK Talks

Listen to our podcast

The Shift in the Media

Op-eds, press releases, podcasts, and more -- follow along with what we've been up to

Shift Cities

Operationalizing the right to housing at the city level

“The financialization of housing is…contributing to the degradation of the planet, driving the unsustainable construction of housing, sometimes just to be used as an instrument of investment, and eating into the global carbon budget…It is fueling the housing crisis by…driving unaffordability, evictions, and homelessness in cities across the world.” – Julieta Perucca, The True Cost of Financialization

OUR RESOURCES

Blackstone

Concerns over structural changes

November 5, 2008. One of the few remaining shacks in the former school site as seen through a plastic fence. While construction has begun, progess is slowed down by the persistence of a few shacks. Owners claim that they will not be able to move into the new flats once they are built. The Amakhaya Ngoku former school site project is the first project ever to attempt to build flats inside a South Africa township. On October 19, 2006 a fire at the school site razed 292 structures leaving 1076 people destitute (709 adults and 367 children). Photo by George Hsia

Guidelines for the implementation of the Right to Housing

A National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada

A Human Rights Approach

Human Rights Based Housing Strategies

The Right to Housing for residents of informal settlements

Guidance notes

On financialization and COVID-19

Glossary

The basics on the Right to Housing

#MakeTheShift

Get active

If you want to help make the shift, you can follow us on social media, and use the hashtag #maketheshift when promoting your right to housing events and statements.

RIGHT TO HOUSING

FINANCIALIZATION

HOMELESSNESS

CLIMATE

THE SHIFT IN ACTION

PUSHBACK Talks

The Shift in the Media

Shift Cities

OUR RESOURCES

Blackstone

Guidelines for the implementation of the Right to Housing

A National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada

Human Rights Based Housing Strategies

The Right to Housing for residents of informal settlements

Guidance notes

Glossary

#MakeTheShift

Get active

Keep us close through all of our channels

Keep us close through all of our channels