Housing sector

Using PAIA to Promote Housing Rights

This guide was designed to assist advocates in the housing sector to recognise the important role that access to information can play in the achievement of their advocacy goals. The right to have access to adequate housing means that the government of South Africa must take reasonable steps to make sure that South Africans have adequate housing. The Constitution of South Africa gives rise to this right.

The housing right also protects against forced removals from housing, relocation of entire communities, and arbitary searches of homes that were a devastating feature in the apartheid South Africa.

However, despite recognition of such an important right adequate housing remains a serious problem for many South Africans. This booklet, developed as part of housing sector training, outlines how housing advocates can use the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) to access to information. The easy to use guide contains examples and case studies of how PAIA can be used in the housing sector.

For ease of use this guide is designed to be used with other PAIA materials developed by SAHA namely: PAIA Resource Kit, PAIA Workshop Guide, PAIA Case Studies from Civil Society DVD and Guide, and PAIA Unpacked - A Resource for Lawyers and Paralegals.

> Download Using PAIA to Promote Housing Rights (1.8 MB)

SAHA thanks the Open Society Foundation for South Africa and Atlantic Philanthropies, for their generous support in the development of the Guide.