#WorldHomelessDay2021
Kenny Aderogba
Community Relations Strategist| Bridging Gaps and Empowering Communities.
Homelessness is one of the most challenging problems we face in our society. According to Un-Habitat, every year 2 million people around the world are forcibly evicted. This means millions of people are displaced from their homes, network, and their means of livelihood are disrupted.
The first step in addressing this gap is acknowledging the victims are people and not criminals. Although little evidence exists linking slum habitats with criminality, the stereotypes are continued and reaffirmed in popular and policy discourses on urban renewal and city regeneration.
State actors use the above pretext as justification in using lethal force to conduct mass eviction thereby pushing inhabitants further below the poverty line. This pattern of violence was evident in the mass displacement of Maroko, Makoko, Otodogbame, Ilubirin, and Ijora Badia. Learn more:?Public-Private Connection in Urban Displacement: A Case Study of Lagos State
In commemoration of #Worldhomelessday2021, I stand in solidarity with advocates working to respond to homelessness from various parts of the world to challenge the government and all relevant stakeholders to ensure the dignity of all its citizens by guaranteeing it as a fundamental human right and also improve housing delivery by eliminating the widening discrimination and disparity of assessing adequate houses.
Let’s create a society where everyone has a place to call home.
Housing is a human right...it is not just a roof.