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Former Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha Photo: Supplied
This week chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt called out the government on its lack of progress in implementing its Healthy Homes Standards, saying it puts New Zealand in breach of our international law obligations.
Back in February 2020 those standards were commended by Leilani Farha, who was visiting at the time in her former role as UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. Yet Farha warned then that we face a significant human rights crisis if we don’t employ measures such as a capital gains tax, rent freeze, and eviction ban, like Scotland has implemented this month.
The international fact-finding mission Farha was on when she visited is captured in 2019 documentary Push. Based in Ottawa, she is Global Director of The Shift, advocating internationally for governments to have overarching human rights based housing policy.