What are we #NotAsking for?
This project aims to harness the political power of those living in homelessness and support them to demand protection of their human rights during COVID-19 and in its aftermath. The sole objective of this initiative is to provide a platform that enables people living in homelessness to collectively and individually claim their human right to housing from their respective government, while facilitating global attention on this urgent issue.
What is the scope of this issue?
No less than 150 million people, or about 2 percent of the world’s population, are homeless. However, about 1.6 billion, more than 20 percent of the world’s population, may lack adequate housing.*
Homelessness is a prima facie violation of the right to housing. As part of their commitment to uphold international human rights standards, governments of all levels, around the world, are obligated to ensure every person they represent has access to secure, affordable, and adequate housing.
Any person without this, any person in homelessness, has been failed by their government. People in homelessness face stigmatization, ostracization and marginalization. In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they are sometimes unable to socially distance, wash hands regularly, or stay home. They are far more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus than people with access to adequate housing.
This is contrary to international human rights standards in many ways, and it needs to end. We are calling on governments to end homelessness globally, and invite people living in homelessness around the world to join us in this call, and to claim their human rights.
The Shift has launched a new platform for people in homelessness to rise up and claim democratic space they are marginalized from, and claim their right to housing.
What does participation involve?
Please join us in demanding your human rights. Submit your statement in written, audio or video format below.
*Source: Yale Global Online
