News

Bedroom Tax Pushes A Quarter Of Affected Households Into Rent Arrears

Published in Thursday September 19th, 2013 In In the media

Huffington Post: A quarter of households hit by the ‘bedroom tax’ have been pushed into rent arrears for the first time, just five-and-a-half months after it was introduced. National Housing Federation chief executive David Orr said the figures underlined demands for the housing benefit cut to be scrapped to prevent families entering a “spiralling cycle of debt”.

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Vacancies for independent United Nations experts of the Human Rights Council

Published in Thursday September 19th, 2013 In News on the Rapporteurs

On 2014, there will be vacancies to some of the ongoing HRC human rights special procedures. The deadline for applications of October 31st!

Rapporteur’s message after the UK Mission

Published in Wednesday September 18th, 2013 In News on the Rapporteurs

I have just completed a two-week official mission to the UK to look into the housing situation in the UK – an issue which is at the heart of many UK residents. The visit has generated some questions that I try to answer here.

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Grant Shapps should reconsider his ill-informed UN ‘bedroom tax’ outrage

Published in Monday September 16th, 2013 In In the media

The Guardian: A UN special rapporteur cannot carry out a mission (ie a formal visit) to a state without being invited. This is set out in the code of conduct for such appointment-holders (also known as “special procedures”). Indeed, so open was the UK to the possibility of a visit from UN experts like Rolnik that, in March 2001, it issued a standing invitation to all such UN appointment-holders. By extending a standing invitation, the UK announced that it will always accept requests to visit from all special procedures.

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UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing concludes UK visit

Published in Friday September 13th, 2013 In In the media

UNA-UK: The UN’s Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Raquel Rolnik, has concluded a two-week official visit to the UK during which she visited London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester.

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UN expert says dismantling of Housing Executive could lead to political abuse

Published in Friday September 13th, 2013 In In the media

The Detail: An United Nations official has warned that a decision to strip the Housing Executive of responsibility for social housing could lead to political abuse of the system. UN Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik visited Northern Ireland as part of a fact-finding mission on the right to adequate housing in the UK.

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Author of bedroom tax report defends findings after government’s attack

Published in Friday September 13th, 2013 In In the media

The Guardian Responding to the criticism in titles such as the Daily Mail and Daily Express, Rolnik told the Guardian: “My nationality is of no relevance to my role as a special rapporteur.” She added: “What should matter is how to address the housing issues in the UK in a way that respects the rights of people living in the UK.”

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The world is watching

Published in Friday September 13th, 2013 In Opinion

Inside Housing: Usually the United Nations hits UK headlines in an oblique manner – Security Council decisions (or the lack of them) or corralling efforts to respond to natural disasters. Yet this week the initial report by UN rapporteur Raquel Rolnik has changed all that, according to Stuart Macdonald.

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UN official will urge government to fund social housing

Published in Friday September 13th, 2013 In In the media

Inside Housing In her report to the UN Human Rights Council, to be published in March, she will advise that grant funding for developing social homes should be renewed, she told Inside Housing.

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No step backwards

Published in Friday September 13th, 2013 In Opinion

Inside Housing: The right to an adequate standard of living is intended to be ‘progressive’, in other words the standard of housing provision is meant to steadily improve. There should be no backwards steps, says Grainia Long.

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