Explanation:

HOUSING has become the frontline defense against the coronavirus.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, States across the world are ordering millions ofpeople to “stay home”. And YET, at the same time, many HOUSEHOLDS and communities continue to be threatened with eviction.

 At least 150 MILLION people worldwide live in homelessness, in emergency shelters, or onpavements. Reports are emerging of many homeless people being removed from their

encampments, or rounded up by local authorities and placed in congregated settings such as STADIUMS, camps and convention centres.

 One quarter of the world’s urban population live in informal settlements, lacking security of tenure. They can be removed from their lands at any time. It has been reported that forced eviction of informal settlement dwellers have been considered in order to ‘de-densify’ settlements to implement physical distancing.

 Tenants and homeowners are struggling to make their rental or mortgage payments as a

result of housing markets that are unaffordable, and now job loss and underemployment.

 Migrants living in labour camps are also losing their homes when lockdown policies are put into place.

Evictions are not only inconsistent with the ‘stay home’ policy, but forced evictions are a

violation of international human rights law, including the right to housing, as are any evictions that result in homelessness.1

In the face of this pandemic, being evicted from your home is a

potential death sentence.

The right to adequate housing is not subject to derogation in times of emergency. Limitations to

this right are only permissible as determined by law and in so far as they are compatible with the

nature of this right, and solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare in a democratic society.

Hope it is helpful !