Letter of Concern from The Shift regarding Philadelphia Chinatown
On August 11, 2023, we issued an urgent letter expressing grave concerns about potential human rights violations in Philadelphia’s Chinatown to 76 Devcorp. The letter focuses on the contentious proposal to construct a new stadium within the heart of Chinatown, emphasizing that this is more than just an ordinary infrastructure project. The stadium proposal has […]
The Heat is On: Climate Resiliency and the Right to Housing
Building a more sustainable future, one home at a time: a call for housing resilience and adaptation in Canada Senator Rosa Galvez As a Canadian Senator, engineer, and grandmother, I firmly believe that the right to housing is one of the most fundamental human rights. Housing is a basic human need and a cornerstone of […]
An Ontario ruling defending those living in encampments is only a partial victory
Source: The Globe & Mail Leilani Farha is global director of The Shift, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to housing from 2014 to 2020 and the co-host of the bimonthly podcast, Pushback Talks. Diana Chan McNally is a front-line worker supporting homeless people. Last week, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice decided that the Regional Municipality […]
As Skyrocketing Rents Leave Refugees with Nowhere to Go, The Human Right to Housing is Needed More than Ever
Source: NewCities Kirsten McRae, Communications & Marketing Manager, The Shift It’s in the news every day—people are forced to flee their homes in growing numbers due to circumstances beyond their control. According to the World Economic Forum, the number of people fleeing their homes has doubled in the last ten years and it’s predicted that more than […]
The Global Housing Crisis: A Crisis Unlike Any Other
Source: Urbanet By Kirsten McRae Echoes of the same story can be heard in cities across the globe – homelessness is on the rise and the cost of housing is increasing at an alarming rate while the availability of decent housing dwindles. Kirsten McRae with recent statistics on the global housing crisis and why we […]
The Shift launches world’s first directives on financialized housing in European Parliament
BRUSSELS, June 2, 2022- Leilani Farha, Global Director of The Shift and former UN Rapporteur on the right to housing, launched on Thursday the first-ever directives on the financialization of housing in the European Parliament. “The financialization of housing is one of the leading causes of unaffordability and a major driver of inequality in […]
Gentrification isn’t behind Mexico’s housing crisis. Financialization is.
Source: Washington Post The global value of housing has surged 53% in four years, but the profits are literally at the expense of tenants. By Leilani Farha and Fredrik Gertten Fredrik Gertten is a documentary filmmaker and Director of ‘Push’; Leilani Farha is the Global Director of The Shift and former UN Special Rapporteur […]
Reply to Our Letter of Concern to Halifax Regarding Clearing of Encampments
On 14 September 2021, The Shift received a reply to the letter of concern we wrote to the Mayor’s Office regarding the clearing of encampments in August. The reply is below, in its entirety.
Letter of Concern to City of Halifax Regarding Clearing of Encampments
Homeless encampments have continued to grow in size and number across Canada since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of our work, The Shift monitors city engagement with these communities to help protect the human rights of residents and provide guidance on implementing the human rights approach to city officials. After hearing of […]
