Housing

Housing and home: two concepts that are often used interchangeably. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that housing is a fundamental human right (Article 25) and that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his… home…. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks” (Article 12). Indeed, the physical, proverbial “roof over the head” is also metaphorical. A shelter is deemed to provide more than a place for lodging and dwelling; it provides security, safety, dignity, supports identity, and is a place for belonging, a home, a casa, and an hogar. The range of significations for a casa-hogar/housing-home is vast— personal, collective, social, material.