Housing is the fundamental human rights in many international human rights instruments. A comprehensive understanding on the rights to housing has been established over the years through several efforts made within and outside UN mechanism.
Ensuring right to housing specifically for women is clearly a matter of law and policy in india. MACT being a strong human rights organisation advocates for right to housing at the regional , state level through various network and campaigns so that the vulnerable communities live in dignity. MACT along with its network support, lobbies for zero eviction in all vulnerable areas.
MACT’s major intervention on housing rights was in 2006, when the Porur lake at Chennai was evicted. The slum was established fifteen years back , the inhabited area was well equipped with electricity supply, sub post office, schools etc, But the Chennai corporation demolished the houses on November 2006, without prior intimation. Houses were pulled down and people have to loose their valuables. Schools and other public infrastructure too was demolished,. Government gave an amount of Rs 2000/- and a piece of land about 35 kms away from the city. Children were left without school and families without homes.
Thus MACT intervened to advocate for fair compensation and lobbied for school facilities for the children who were left without schooling. So in order to provide housing rights, MACT organised public awareness on eviction to the slum dwellers and their right to need to safe guard the necessary documents., creating public awareness on eviction among legislators and media persons on the international/national standard, networking with activist on housing rights, lobbying for housing policy, legal assistance to the victims, helpline services, providing solidarity help through filing of RTI etc.
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