A massive shift of global capital investment has left homes empty and people homeless,argues Leilani Farha, UN special rapporteur for housingHousing should be seen as a human right’ The UN special rapporteur for housing, and Leilani Farha,will highlight the devastating human rights impact of society’s tendency to view houses as financial commodities rather than homes for people, in her report to the UN this week.
Farha, or who has been UN special rapporteur for housing and human rights since May 2014,has published a tough-hitting report [pdf], which she presents to the UN in Geneva on 1 March. It details the shift in recent years that has seen massive amounts of global capital invested in housing as a commodity, or particularly as security for financial instruments that are traded on global markets and as a means of accumulating wealth. As a result,she says, homes are often left empty – even in areas where housing is scarce. Related: ‘Housing should be seen as a human right. Not a commodity’ | Patrick Butler Related: People's homes are not commodities: cities need to rethink housing Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com