Concluding observation Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
E/C.12/IRN/CO/2 para 23
Full recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the State party take immediate steps, inter alia by increasing
budgetary allocations, to improve housing and living conditions in regions traditionally
inhabited by ethnic minorities, including access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation,
electricity, transportation facilities, schools and health-care centers.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators1
According to Article 31 of the 1979 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran “Every Iranian
individual and family is entitled to a dwelling appropriate to its needs.” The Government is
required to provide this, while giving priority to the people who need it the most, in particular
peasants and workers. In addition, Article 19 of the Constitution states “All people of Iran,
whatever the ethnic group or tribe to which they belong, enjoy equal rights; color, race,
language, and the like, do not bestow any privilege”. Additionally, Article 20 emphasizes that
“All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and
enjoy all human, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, in conformity with Islamic
criteria.” These laws seemingly guarantee access to adequate living conditions for all, including
ethnic minorities.
In recent decades, the Iranian government has implemented various plans and programs to
reduce the problems associated with providing housing in Iran. But over the years, and with the
implementation of many projects and construction, housing-related problems, including the need
for affordable housing for all, especially the low-income and vulnerable individuals, many of
whom are members of ethnic minorities, still exist. The Housing Foundation and the Imam
Khomeini Relief Committee, as the two bodies responsible for providing housing for the lowincome and "responsible for organizing and addressing the livelihoods of the poor and needy,"
signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 for the construction of 20,000 units of
"supportive housing" in rural areas, yet there is a scarcity of reports that would indicate that this
measure has alleviated the affordable housing crisis in Iran.2
In 2007, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad introduced the Mehr housing plan which planned to create 2.2
million new housing opportunities for low income and disadvantaged individuals. By the time
1
ESCR.11.1.S.3
ESCR.11.1.S.1
ESCR.11.1.P.2 ESCR.11.1.P.1 ESCR.11.1.O.2
2
http://www.jahannews.com/sdcez78nejh8pzi.b9bj.html and
https://www.maskanco.ir/Components/News/View/NewsPDF.aspx?id=920&lcid=1033
1