The Right to Adequate Housing and Minorities

Abstract This paper discusses the role of the right to (culturally) adequate housing in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities ( fcnm ) and its monitoring process conducted by the Advisory Committee on the fcnm . The research aims to reveal potential systemic failings concerning the housing of minorities across Europe by identifying common threads related to housing in the most recent Opinions and Government Comments. The paper begins by highlighting the importance of adequate housing conditions that fulfil an individual’s needs and interests, particularly for members of minorities who face uncertainty and discrimination in their journey towards adequate housing. Various international human rights treaties obligate states to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to culturally adequate housing, which plays a pivotal role in preserving their culture and traditional way of life. However, the role of the fcnm in protecting minorities’ housing rights has been understudied, and the discussion is merely ancillary. Thus, this paper aims to fill the knowledge gap by analysing all Opinions and Government Comments for each state’s two most recently completed Reporting Cycles systematically. The paper concludes that the fcnm has a significant role to play in protecting minorities’ housing rights, and more attention should be given to this aspect in the monitoring process conducted by the Advisory Committee on the fcnm . The findings of this research could help improve the protection of minorities’ housing rights across Europe and contribute to the overall goal of promoting social inclusion and equality for all.