Habitar en Dignidad
Towards the right to housing in the new Constitution
Although Chilean people have been demanding access to decent housing and the construction of equitable cities for decades, this demand has intensified in recent years. The social unrest has converted the territory into a space where the conflict can clearly be seen and inequality became the core reason for the protests, while the pandemic has exposed the precarious living conditions that thousands of families in Chile are experiencing.
This reality alerts us to the fragility of the social protection system and redefines the role of housing as a social right that allows other rights, such as health, employment and healthy environment, to be protected.
Within this context, this initiative aims to examine the constitutional experience regarding housing and cities based on the country’s main urban housing challenges, the voice and perspective of local communities, international human rights standards, and a comparative review of other constitutions worldwide. This will enable the proposal of the foundations for housing policies from a human rights perspective, with a view to a constituent discussion.