Context
This document focuses on the existing barriers to persons with disabilities in realizing their right to safe, secure, affordable and accessible housing in urban areas, and how urban areas pose unique challenges for persons with disabilities. The intended audience is humanitarian or development actors responding to crises in urban areas, such as urban displacement, HLP and tenure security issues in urban cities and providing service delivery in out-of-camp contexts, with a focus on meeting the specific needs of persons with disabilities.
Summary
Published by UN Habitat, the document introduces the idea of “Housing at the Centre,” which places housing as a priority in development in humanitarian responses (p. VI). Six themes under which efforts to promote the realization of the right to adequate housing are highlighted. These include:
- Addressing discrimination in housing (p. IX)
- Support for living independently and in the community
- Removing barriers in the built environment both in the home and the community
- Taking measures to accelerate equality for persons with disabilities
- Monitoring, data collection, and functioning of effective and safe complaint mechanisms
- Intersectional, or multiple, discrimination (p. XI)
The first chapter highlights an important point about referring to certain groups of persons as “vulnerable,” which often includes people who are economically disadvantaged, women, migrants and refugees, persons with disabilities and ethnic/religious minorities, etc., which is that these groups are often identified in passing, without property attention (p. 3). Further, discussions surrounding “vulnerable” populations should shift from thinking of these groups as inherently vulnerable to identifying the systems and processes that exclude or marginalize groups of people and recognizing how the multiple layers of identity impact one’s access to resources and opportunities, or in this case, adequate housing (p. 59-61). This logic can be useful when designing HLP and tenure security, such as rental assistance, projects or for CCCM practitioners providing service delivery in urban areas. A useful outline identifying 9 different groups of persons with disabilities (p. 10-15) and detailing the extent to which their right to adequate housing is covered under international law and the most prevalent barriers these groups face in accessing “adequate housing” is provided. An analysis of the impact of urbanization on persons with disabilities is also provided (p. 20-24).
The second part of the document focuses on trends in policy and legal solutions. Relevant to CCCM HLP programming is the section on discrimination/barriers in realizing the right to adequate housing (p. 45-56). The different categories of discrimination outlined are particularly relevant to rental assistance projects as understanding these barriers is important when designing and implementing rental assistance projects. A section on discrimination against women with disabilities, especially violence as a barrier to adequate housing is highlighted (p. 56-58). Also important to note is the section on the unique challenges children with disabilities, and particularly migrant children face in realizing their right to adequate housing (p. 59-61). Chapter 4 focuses on addressing the barriers to adequate housing. A section on improving the security of tenure, including preventing the demolition of informal settlements is particularly relevant for CCCM HLP programming (p. 73-74). Another important section provides guidance on addressing environmental barriers, such as habitability, availability of services, accessibility, affordability and location, which is useful for site selection and site planning, or identifying housing for rental assistance programs (p. 76-79).
A useful table (p. 79) providing information on data needs, and specific aspects that are not covered by the Washington Group Questions is provided, including an explanation as to why understanding these factors are important for HLP and tenure security assistance. The final section includes three case studies on the right to adequate housing for persons with disabilities in cities covering the themes of deinstitutionalization (p. 89) an intersectional look at people living with HIV-AIDS10 and data on disability as a part of a regional equity atlas (p.96).
