Housing dignity: For the Right to Housing in the New Constitution
The protection of the right to housing is a critical issue for the Chileans. During the constitutional process started in the President Michelle Bachelet’s second administration (2014-2019), housing was one of the five top citizens’ priorities, along with health, education, equality under the law, and the environment. Also, the city and the unequal urban landscape were the stages in which the 2019 Protest in Chile took place. More recently, the covid-19 pandemic has revealed the apalling housing conditions in which thousands of families live in this country.
With the landslide victory of the option in favour of writing a new constitution in Chile, guaranteeing economic, social and cultural rights, such as the right to housing, has been a crucial debate.
In this context, GI-ESCR, TECHO-Chile and Fundación Vivienda have launched a joint report “Habitar en Dignidad: Hacia el Derecho a la Vivienda en la Nueva Constitución”. This paper examines the constitutional experience around the right to housing and to the city, including the main urban and housing challenges the country faces, the voice and gaze of grassroots communities, international human rights standards, and a comparative analysis of constitutions from other countries.
The publication is currently available in Spanish only.