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From the columns:
Right to Housing It is common to speak about violations of housing rights when it comes to extraodinary large forced evictions without proper compensation. Focussing on such mass evictions, which can affect thousands and hundred thousands of people are moere and more alarming in Africa and emerging economies in Asia, we should not forget the everday pressure on poor and ordinary inhabitants, which can have catastrophic consequences even in "developed" countries in Europa or North America. This dossier deals with the "structural violence" behind the phenomenons. Barcelona movements call it "urban real estate violence": speculation, mobbing of inhabitants, incremental legal evictions, rent increases... >> To the Dossier >> zur Rubrik Right to Housing -Articles If you would ask any official, if there are "forced evictions" in the meaning of General Comment No. 7,1 s/he would deny and could give many correct arguments referring to (a) the developed legal system of safeguards in Germany and (b) to market forces. Let's see how far we nevertheless can speak about housing rights violations in Germany.
>> PDF DOWNLOAD >> zur Rubrik Financial Globalisation of Housing and Habitat Throughout the world, Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) are playing a rapidly increasing role in organizing private financial investments in housing and cities. After a longer period of development in Northern America - with disastrous consequences on social housing – about 20 important countries have introduced national REITs during the recent years and another half dozen is planning to do the same within the coming year. REITs are one of the examples of the silent over-taking of the worlds' economic governance by the neo-liberal promoters and profiteers of financial globalism. >> To the Dossier >> zur Rubrik Financial Globalization of Housing The German government has declared “investment security” to be the leitmotiv of the G8 summit. The current form of globalisation has produced and continues to produce many losers and very few winners from “investment security”.
>> Read more >> zur Rubrik Habitat and Europe According to the EU constitution draft and the Lisbon strategy "territorial cohesion" - besides economic and social cohesion - should become a third pillar of European integration and the Lisbon strategy which aims to make the EU the "most competitive knowledge based economy in the world". Within this frame real sustainability, social inclusion and right based approaches have a diificult standing. >> To the Dossier >> zur Rubrik Habitat and Europe - Articles Habitat International Coalition (HIC), the "Habitat Working Group at German NGO Forum Environment and Development" as well as the "Ruhr Tenants Forum" have criticized that housing is not an issue at the agenda of the German EU council presidency. "There is no sustainable urban development without right to housing", NGOs say. >> Read more >> zur Rubrik | 
