HRC61 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
United Nations Human Rights Council
61st session
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
4 March 2026
EU statement
Mr./Madam Vice/President,
The European Union thanks the Special Rapporteur for his work and longstanding efforts to advance the right to adequate housing during his six-year tenure. We also take note of his latest report and the Guiding Principles of Resettlement.
Access to adequate and affordable housing should be a reality for all human beings but as highlighted in the report, the world faces an escalating crisis of evictions and displacement linked to a wide range of factors including climate impacts, development projects, environmental degradation, disasters and conflict. Responses remain fragmented and inadequate. Poorly executed resettlement can lead to long-term negative impacts for multiple generations. Violations of the right to adequate housing affect the realization of other rights, including the rights to education and health and the right to participate in public life. Persons in vulnerable situations are often the most severely affected.
The EU emphasizes that eviction, displacement or resettlement must always be the last resort and be strictly compliant with international human rights and humanitarian law.
The EU is taking decisive action to advance the right to adequate housing by launching its first European Affordable Housing Plan in 2026 to tackle rising housing costs by increasing supply, enhancing sustainability, mobilizing investment, providing immediate support and promoting structural policy reforms while protecting vulnerable groups and young persons. This action will focus on addressing the underlying causes of the housing crisis, supporting safe, affordable, and dignified housing.
Mr. Special Rapporteur,
As your tenure is coming to an end, how has the implementation of the right to adequate housing evolved during the past years?
Thank you.