In 2019, the Canadian Parliament passed the National Housing Strategy Act which adopts and applies a human rights-based approach within the Government’s national housing policy. Section 4 of the National Housing Strategy Act recognises the right to adequate housing as a fundamental human right central to human dignity, well-being and community. The Government commits to prioritising the most vulnerable in need of housing. South African Constitutional Court: Government of the Republic of South Africa v Grootboom This case was heard in the South African Constitutional Court in 2000. The Constitutional Court found that: 1) Social rights (rights to housing, adequate standard of living, health, etc) are enforceable in South Africa 2) The right to adequate housing must be interpreted in light of its close relationship with other human rights 3) The State is obliged to take positive action to meet the needs of those living in extreme conditions of poverty, homelessness or intolerable housing 4) The actions needed to meet this minimum obligation will differ case-by-case, but the question is whether the measures taken by the State are reasonable 5) For adequate housing, there must be provision of land, services (water, sewage, etc) and a dwelling. The state must create the conditions for access to adequate housing for people at all economic levels of society. 46 Human Rights Commission New Zealand local and central government initiatives for housing Te Maihi o te Whare Māori – the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI) Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development) Tāmaki Regeneration (Tāmaki Regeneration Company, in partnership with Kāinga Ora, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport) The need for a universal design approach and accessible housing regulation in New Zealand (Auckland Council, draft, December 2020) Hutt City Council Homelessness Strategy He Papakāinga, He Hāpori Taurikura – Rotorua’s Homes and Thriving Communities Strategic Framework (Rotorua Lakes Council) Universal Design He Tauira ā-Whānui (Auckland Design Manual, Auckland Council) Universal design: resource collection (ACC, MBIE, Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities, Ministry of Health, Office for Disability Issues and BRANZ)