Who is responsible for the human right to a decent home? The right to a decent home as informed by and giving effect to te Tiriti o Waitangi doesn’t just place obligations on central and local government. It also includes responsibilities for others, including the private sector, landlords, property managers, service providers, and tenants. The government has the main responsibility to progress and fulfil the right to a decent home, because it has made this commitment in international law. The government is also responsible for making sure others, including the private sector, respect and contribute to achieving the right to a decent home for everyone. For example, government must take reasonable steps to make sure that private landlords: • Don’t unlawfully discriminate against people when they are providing housing • Provide decent homes that are consistent with the key features of this human right (warm, dry, safe, healthy, accessible, and affordable). The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which the government has affirmed, says “Business enterprises should respect human rights. This means that they should avoid infringing on the human rights of others and should address adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved.” What does the right to a decent home include? A decent home has key features that can be measured The United Nations have highlighted seven principles that help determine whether housing is adequate and decent. These principles don’t sit in isolation – they overlap with each other. If our homes and housing initiatives don’t reflect these principles, they are not achieving the right to a decent home, unless it can be shown that all reasonable steps have been taken to comply. A decent home is habitable Our homes should be warm, dry, and healthy, and protect us from cold, damp, heat, rain, wind, structural hazards, disease, and other threats to our health. Our homes should protect us from and mitigate the effects of climate change. A decent home is affordable Our housing costs should not compromise our ability to afford other basic and reasonable needs such as doctor’s visits and groceries. Housing is usually understood as unaffordable when housing costs are more than 30% of a household’s take-home income. In particular, tenants should be protected appropriately against unreasonable rent levels and increases. A decent home is accessible We should all be able to access a home that meets our needs, whether through home ownership, private rental, social housing, or other forms of housing. Accessibility has multiple different levels The right to a decent home in Aotearoa – for the private sector 3