An Enforceable Human Right to Housing

New Article by Human Rights Program Director Examines French Approach, Lessons for US Advocates

In the latest issue of the Northeastern University Law Journal, Law Center Human Rights Program Director Eric Tars examines the enforceable right to housing in France, in place since 2009, and discusses lessons it offers for U.S. advocates for the human right to housing.

Passage of the Enforceable Right to Housing Act (le Droit au Logement Opposable, or DALO) was largely the result of a successful grassroots movement in France. DALO has strengthened progressive housing measures already in place, while also creating the foundation for a holistic housing law framework. For instance, one of DALO's most important provisions is the creation of a legal cause of action for individuals who have been denied the right to housing.

The French model of housing law is particularly compelling to U.S. housing advocates because of the structural parallels between French and U.S. policies and legal systems. Moreover, the movement that produced DALO bears a striking resemblance to the Occupy encampments set up across the country at the time of this articles conception in late 2011, lending credence to the belief that we could generate the political will for such laws in the United States.

This article seeks to draw parallels between U.S. and French housing law and to illuminate the areas of French housing law that U.S. housing advocates may find informative. It is co-authored by Julia Lum & E. Kieran Paul, a former human rights fellow and legal intern at the Law Center, respectively.

To read the article, click here.