COVID-19

When the Covid-19 pandemic first began, governments around the world issued “stay-at-home” orders to help slow the spread of the virus. For those living with inadequate, precarious, or a complete lack of housing, these orders were impossible to follow. As the pandemic continued to evolve, changes to business operations designed to stop the spread left many without work and without a way to pay the rent. The number of people living in homelessness and inadequate housing has risen throughout the pandemic, demonstrating a failure on the part of government to provide solutions to a systemic problem. Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term recovery plans need to incorporate the right to housing and particularly consider the impact on precariously housed persons who cannot just ‘stay home’. Housing has rarely been more of a life and death situation than it is now.

The Shift has put together a number of resources on the steps governments should take to protect all residents from the housing-related dangers posed by Covid-19.

Want to consult with us on implementing these methods and/or developing new solutions? Reach out to us! info@maketheshift.org.

Model Emergency Housing Legislation: Protecting the right to housing during Covid-19

Protecting housing from financialization & building back better

Global Director of The Shift and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha shares her recommendations for governments to protect the right to adequate housing from financialization in order to build back better after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Download the Guidance Note for Protecting Housing from Financialization & Building Back Better...

Protecting renters and mortgage payers

Global Director of The Shift and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha shares her recommendations for governments to protect the right to adequate housing for renters and mortgage payers as part of their response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Download the Guidance Note for Protecting Renters and Mortgage Payers...

Protecting residents of informal settlements

Global Director of The Shift and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha shares her recommendations for governments to protect the right to adequate housing for persons living in informal settlements as part of their response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Download the Guidance Note for Protecting Residents of Informal...

Protection for those living in homelessness

Global Director of The Shift and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha shares her recommendations for governments to protect the Right to Adequate Housing for persons living in homelessness as part of their response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Download the Guidance Note Protection for those living in Homelessness...

Prohibition on evictions

Global Director of The Shift and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha shares her recommendations for governments to protect the right to adequate housing by prohibiting evictions as part of their response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Download the Guidance Note for Prohibiting Evictions below.