Conceptual and Practical Concerns for the Effectiveness of the Right to Housing

20 Pages Posted: 19 Feb 2016 Last revised: 27 Feb 2017

See all articles by Nico Moons

Nico Moons

University of Antwerp

Bernard Hubeau

University of Antwerp

Date Written: February 19, 2016

Abstract

English Abstract: Anno 2014, it is rather an exception to the rule that a state does not have a set of fundamental social rights incorporated into its constitution. Unfortunately however, this does not mean by far that social rights have consistently been given the same kind of treatment as other constitutional rights. A large discrepancy between the wide recognition of these rights in theory on the one hand and its influence in practice on particularly the more disadvantaged people in society is still very noticeable. The apparent failure to adequately implement fundamental social rights and their limited practical impact raise questions regarding their effectiveness. Evidently, the same applies with specific regard to the right to housing. Here, the question has been raised whether the right to housing ought to be approached as a so called obligation of result. To what extent might such a modification enhance the practical significance of such a right?

Spanish Abstract: Año 2014, se puede considerar una excepción a la regla de que un Estado no tiene una serie de derechos sociales fundamentales incorporados en su constitución. Sin embargo, lamentablemente, esto no quiere decir en absoluto que a los derechos sociales se les haya dado de forma consistente el mismo tratamiento que a otros derechos constitucionales. Todavía se aprecia una amplia discrepancia entre el amplio reconocimiento de estos derechos en la teoría, por un lado, y su influencia en la práctica, en particular entre las personas más desfavorecidas de la sociedad. El aparente fracaso para implementar adecuadamente los derechos sociales fundamentales y su impacto limitado en la práctica plantean cuestiones en cuanto a su eficacia. Evidentemente, ocurre lo mismo en lo que respecta concretamente al derecho a la vivienda. Aquí, se plantea la cuestión de si el derecho a la vivienda debe ser abordada como una denominada compromiso de resultado. ¿En qué medida podría esta modificación fomentar la importancia práctica de ese derecho?

Keywords: Social Rights, Human Rights, Housing, Human Dignity, Effectiveness of Law, Derechos sociales, derechos humanos, vivienda, dignidad humana, efectividad del derecho

Suggested Citation

Moons, Nico and Hubeau, Bernard, Conceptual and Practical Concerns for the Effectiveness of the Right to Housing (February 19, 2016). Oñati Socio-Legal Series, Vol. 6, No. 3, 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2734717

Nico Moons (Contact Author)

University of Antwerp ( email )

Prinsstraat 13
Antwerp, 2000
Belgium

Bernard Hubeau

University of Antwerp ( email )

Prinsstraat 13
Antwerp, 2000
Belgium

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