Protecting the right to housing in the era of financialisation: four principles for urban renewal

Abstract

ABSTRACT The human rights obligations of states stemming from the right to housing may include dealing with urban problems and improving the infrastructures of slum neighbourhoods. Where such difficulties cannot be easily resolved by a building-by-building approach, urban renewal may be seen almost as a panacea. However, reminiscent of Swiss knives, urban renewal policies may be implemented to achieve many different socio-economic purposes unrelated to urban challenges which may violate the right to housing in the era of financialisation. Based on this dilemma, this article illuminates the challenges that may be posed by urban renewal policies to the right to housing considering the standards set by human rights monitoring bodies through a comparative interpretative method and proposes four urban renewal principles within the scope of human rights law. The article ends with recommendations on the ways to activate human rights protection in the context of financialised urban renewal policies.