For a National Spanish Strategy for the eradication of slum and substandard housing settlements from a Human Rights approach [editar]

The very existence of slum and substandard housing settlements in Spain represents a very serious violation of human rights, incompatible with our rule of law and in one of the leading world economies, as declared by the United Nations Special for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights , Philip Alston, on his visit to Spain.

Although we recognise the advances made in the last 40 years in the eradication of these environments, several recent studies prepared by the organisations that subscribe to this document prove that there are still thousands of people living in deplorable conditions that prevent access and enjoyment of many basic rights.

Article 14 of the new Spanish Law for the Right to Housing provides that "housing policies will take special account of individuals, families, and cohabitation units that live in highly vulnerable and segregated settlements and neighborhoods”, thus reflecting the need to specifically take into account people belonging to ethnic groups located at the maximum level of exclusion for access to this right. For its part, the recently approved II Human Rights Plan, includes among its different measures the approval of "an action plan, in collaboration with the regions, city councils and social organizations, to promote projects that undertake the eradication of slum or substandard housing settlements ”.

The eradication of these enclaves that prevent the exercise of citizenship should be a unanimous objective, shared by all political forces. For this reason, the subscribing organisations of this document urge all the political forces that attend the next Spanish general elections to incorporate, in their electoral programs, the approval of a "State Strategy for the eradication of slum and substandard housing settlements ".

This strategy should serve as a management instrument, political coordination with the Regions and City Councils, and resource mobilization that will make it possible to eradicate slum and substandard housing settlements in Spain by 2030. The strategy must guarantee full respect for the legal guarantees and the fundamental rights of residents, and ensure a dignified and adequate housing alternative, according to their needs.

In addition, this strategy should be accompanied by specific measures to prevent racism and antigypsyism in the field of housing by leading towards situations of residential exclusion and reinforcing the existence of these spaces. This strategy must be developed with measures in the short, medium and long term, involving all the social actors in its approach.

Likewise, the bases must be established for the definition of action plans for each of the settlements, in which the roadmap would be specified to promote the access of the individuals and families residing in them to decent and adequate housing in an inclusive environment, as well as its maintenance over time through rehousing programs that include the participation of the affected people and the accompaniment by public resources and organisations of the Third Sector. It must also include a financial framework based on sufficiency criteria and coming from both European, state, regional and local sources that allow investing in facilitating access to decent housing in an inclusive environment, and executing the different local action plans.