The government must make land available for the implementation of this article٫ according priority to those whose need is greatest٫ in particular the rural population and the workers”. Additionally, according to Article 1(25) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. What is stated in Article 31 is the duty of governments to provide and guarantee adequate housing for all walks of the society, especially the disadvantaged. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also implicitly emphasizes that having adequate housing is a basic right for individuals. Consequently, it is the duty of the governments to act in such a way that citizens can fully obtain this right.
Evident in our society is that the housing market in the country has always suffered from many disorders regarding supply and demand and, more importantly, ungoverned price increases. Meanwhile in recent years, no problem-solving approach has been taken to manage this process, or at least it has been without a positive effect. Due to the recent economic fluctuations in Iran, this issue has become more critical and having access to an adequate housing for many Iranian families has become such an unattainable goal. Failure to attain this basic right has certainly created serious problems for the people. Failure to provide a normal and acceptable life alongside other issues such as marginalization, massive expenditure on the issue, reduced social hope resulted from an impossible dream of buying a house, ever-lasting struggle with tenancy, constant relocations and lack of financial means to house the family in a suitable and appropriate environment are among the immediate consequences of this unfulfilled citizenship right.
Major barriers to fulfill the right to access a reasonable housing
Housing has turned into a capital and a valuable commodity in our country, despite the fact that housing is not to be considered a commodity. Wrong policies and the lack of a strong tax law addressing the issue as well as various transactional methods with inaccurate accounting, practically lead to a powerful presence of intermediaries and brokers in this market; over the years and on several occasions, a number of exponential surges have occurred due to large capitals entered the market.
– Lack of a coherent, rational and long-term planning for housing, uninformed and sometimes improvisational decisions limited to a period of four to eight years (presidential terms) at best to manage housing, curb inflation, eliminate intermediaries and secure the interests of construction actors.
– Conflict of interests of land lords, tenants, intermediaries, mass constructors, operating banks, the people and the constant struggle of these groups to provide maximum benefits for themselves and to resist programs and schemes contrary to safeguarding such interests.
– Insufficient housing loans and the complicated qualification process, high-rate bank interests, which intensifies the inflationary effects of loans in the housing market.
– sharp increase of housing prices in cities and its big difference from financial ability of middle- and low-income people, we have seen some price jumps in recent years in such a way that, the prospect for achieving an adequate and affordable housing is practically impossible for this group of people.
– The small amount of housing allowance included in salary slips in such a way that this amount is far from providing a conventional housing, even rented, and is only a factor for managing and increasing workers› wages in relation to annual inflation. Lack of real support for mass constructors in a way that active parties in this field continuously and permanently experience the continuous government support and guaranteed supply of materials in special circumstances (even with subsidies) and facilitated administrative laws and regulations and to reduce bureaucracy in financial, technical, registration and urban affairs.
