g. Protect the tenure of tenants including by the use of rent control and legal
guarantees;
h. Implement programmes designed to address the special problems of
housing, water supply and sanitary conditions in rural areas;xxxii
i.
Ensure that housing is affordable and that the attainment and satisfaction
of other basic needs are not threatened or compromised by the costs of
housing;
j.
Ensure the habitability of housing, including providing the inhabitants with
adequate space and protecting them from cold, damp, heat, rain, wind or
other threats to health, including violence, structural hazards and disease
vectors;
k. Ensure that housing developments allow access to employment, health
care services, schools, child-care centres and other social facilities.
Housing should not be built on either polluted sites or in proximity to
pollution sources;
l.
Ensure that the construction of housing, including the materials used, are
culturally acceptable and appropriately enable the expression of cultural
identity and diversity;
m. Entrust an independent national body, such as a national human rights
institution, to monitor State compliance with these guidelines and
international human rights law, including investigation of forced evictions
and other violationsxxxiii and ensuring prosecution of perpetrators;
Vulnerable Groups, Equality and Non-discrimination
n. Ensure that priority in housing and land allocation should be given to
members of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups;
o. Ensure that the provision of housing, particularly regarding construction
and the building materials used is culturally appropriate for vulnerable and
disadvantaged groups, including indigenous communities/populations;
p. Take measures to ensure that women (whatever their marital status),
internally
displaced
persons,
refugees,
indigenous
communities/populations and other members of vulnerable and
disadvantaged groups are guaranteed equal access to land, adequate
housing or shelter and to acceptable living conditions in a healthy
environment. Special attention should be given to ensuring fair and
equitable inheritance of land and rights in housing regardless of sex;
q. Ensure the equal rights of women and men to protection from forced
evictions and the equal enjoyment of the human right to adequate housing
and security of tenure. Implement measures to ensure that titles to
housing and land are conferred on women, and that they are able to
access housing and land independently;
41