According to a recent report from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing Australian governments are failing their obligation to implement the right to adequate housing.

The report calls for immediate action to remedy a national housing crisis that is affecting not just the homeless and the poor, but also increasingly low and middle income households.

The report comes after a the Special Rapporteur toured Australia meeting with individuals experiencing homeless, indigenous groups, civil society and government officials.  In his report, he has described what he saw as a ‘serious hidden national housing crisis’ that in some parts of the country has resulted in a ‘humanitarian tragedy.’ In particular, he raised serious concerns about housing conditions for Indigenous people, for women, particularly those fleeing family violence, and for the large urban and rural homeless populations.

The full report is available at:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/4session/A.HRC.4.18.Add.2.pdf.