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Monitoring Housing Rights

Author: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Date: 2003
Size: 88 pages (788 KB)

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Summary

How can housing rights for all be realised? This report, by United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), suggests ways to develop a set of indicators to monitor and evaluate the full and progressive realisation of the human right to adequate housing. It concludes that, despite the complex challenges, the creation of a set of housing rights indicators will prove a valuable tool in the world-wide struggle for housing rights.

Access to adequate housing impacts upon other human rights. Without it, employment is difficult to secure and maintain, health is threatened, education is impeded, violence is more easily perpetrated, privacy is impaired and social relationships are frequently strained. Reliable information is essential to solve the problems of inadequate and insecure housing.

There are six elements on which a set of housing rights indicators might be built. These are: (1) housing adequacy, (2) scale and scope of forced eviction, (3) scale and scope of homelessness, (4) the rights to non-discrimination and equality of rights, (5) national legal protection, (6) acceptance of international standards. All identify and capture a part of the larger concept of "housing rights". Working from these elements, it becomes possible to identify different "indicators", or quantifiable measures, which may be used to collect data.

• It is desirable to have more than one indicator to measure any given element, especially if that element is particularly complex and multi-faceted.
• The criteria used in the selection of indicators are extremely important, as their overall usefulness will depend on how far they are a valid measure of the element.
• An indicator must pertain to a conceptually significant aspect or element of housing rather than an incidental or unimportant aspect.
• It must also be reliable. Reliability implies that if measured repeatedly, an indicator will yield consistent results.
• Availability of data and comparability of indicators are also significant issues.

Housing rights indicators have a potential role to play as both a monitoring and evaluation mechanism. To be constructed and used properly and effectively, they must consider a number of factors:

• Because "housing rights" is a holistic and multifaceted concept, it must first be broken down into its substantive, measurable components.
• Methodological factors, including the validity and reliability of the selected indicators, as well as the accessibility of data sources.
• The capacity to measure a state's ability, as well as its willingness to respect and fulfil housing rights, must be integrated into indicators.
• It is neither practical nor desirable to use an over-abundant number of indicators, as some indicators may be duplicative and others may unnecessarily complicate the data collection process.
• The creation of a set of housing rights indicators will no doubt involve multiple agencies and an ongoing process of refinement, both conceptually and methodologically.

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Source: UN-HABITAT, 2003, ‘Monitoring Housing Rights: Developing a Set of Indicators to Monitor the Full and Progressive Realisation of the Human Right to Adequate Housing’, United Nations Housing Rights Programme, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi
Author: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), http://www.unhabitat.org/