The right to adequate housing for the elderly from the perspective of jurisprudence and human rights

Subject Areas :

Ebrahim Somi ¹ , abolfazl ranjbari ² , - - ³

1 - Public law
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Public Law, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
3 - Associate Professor of Public Law, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Paramedicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, [e-mail]

Received: 2025-01-05 Accepted : 2025-03-16 Published : 2025-06-21

Keywords: Human rights, Aging, Right to adequate housing, Government Obligations, Islamic jurisprudence.,

Abstract :

Extended abstract Introduction: The global aging phenomenon, with projections indicating that the elderly population will exceed two billion by 2050, necessitates urgent attention to the right to adequate housing as a cornerstone of human dignity. This study investigates this right through the dual frameworks of Islamic jurisprudence and international human rights law. Islamic principles such as human dignity (karama), justice (Adl), and the prohibition of harm (la zarar) establish housing as both a physical necessity and a spiritual sanctuary.Concurrently, international instruments like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the European Social Charter emphasize security of tenure, affordability, and cultural adequacy as essential components of housing rights. Despite these shared ethical foundations, systemic challenges including poverty, age-based discrimination, and forced evictions persist, demanding cohesive policy interventions. Methodology: Employing a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach, this study synthesizes Islamic sources (Quran, ḥadīth, and qawāʿid fiqhiyya) with international legal instruments. Islamic jurisprudence is analyzed through principles such as lā zarar (no harm), ʿadl (justice), and tamkin (empowerment), while international frameworks are examined via treaty provisions, General Comments, and UN reports. The comparative analysis identifies convergences and divergences between Islamic and human rights perspectives, focusing on state obligations, institutional mechanisms, and socio-cultural adequacy. Results: The analysis identifies significant alignment between Islamic jurisprudence and international human rights frameworks in recognizing the right to adequate housing for the elderly, albeit through distinct conceptual and operational approaches. In Islamic jurisprudence, the right is rooted in principles such as human dignity (karāma), derived from Quranic injunctions (e.g., Q17:70) that emphasize the inherent honor of all individuals. Juristic principles like lā zarar (prohibition of harm) and ʿadl (justice) obligate states and communities to prevent homelessness and ensure equitable access to housing. For instance, prophetic traditions stress the importance of spacious, secure, and accessible dwellings, while classical legal texts link housing adequacy to spiritual well-being and social stability. International frameworks, including the ICESCR and the European Social Charter, prioritize security of tenure, affordability, and cultural adequacy as core elements of housing rights. The CESCR’s General Comment No. 4 (1991) explicitly defines adequate housing as encompassing legal protections against forced evictions, access to essential services, and affordability relative to income. However, systemic challenges persist: aging populations face disproportionate risks of poverty, discriminatory housing policies, and inadequate infrastructure, particularly in developing nations. The UN Independent Expert on Older Persons (2022) highlights that elderly women and rural populations are especially vulnerable due to gaps in legal protections and socio-economic marginalization. Notably, Islamic jurisprudence emphasizes familial and communal responsibilities (e.g., nafaqa, or financial support for dependents) alongside state duties, whereas international frameworks place greater emphasis on governmental accountability through legislation and resource allocation. Both systems converge in condemning forced evictions and advocating for dignity-preserving housing solutions. Divergences arise in enforcement mechanisms, with Islamic law leveraging religious endowments (waqf) for housing support, while international norms rely on institutionalized welfare systems. Key barriers to realizing this right include insufficient subsidies, age-insensitive urban planning, and weak legal safeguards against exploitation. For example, elderly individuals in informal settlements often lack access to clean water and sanitation, exacerbating health risks a challenge underscored in WHO guidelines (2018) and Islamic teachings on hygiene and communal welfare. Conclusion: The study underscores the critical imperative of harmonizing jurisprudential principles and legal maxims (qawāʿid fiqhiyya) from Islamic law with international human rights standards to address systemic housing inequities faced by aging populations. Both frameworks converge in recognizing adequate housing as a fundamental right intrinsic to human dignity, yet diverge in their operational mechanisms. Islamic jurisprudence, anchored in binding legal principles such as human dignity (karāma), justice (ʿadl), and prohibition of harm (lā zarar), mandates communal, familial, and state obligations to ensure housing security. International instruments, notably the ICESCR, prioritize state accountability through legislative protections, affordability measures, and safeguards against forced evictions. Governments must adopt multifaceted strategies to bridge these frameworks. This includes enacting anti-discrimination laws to combat age-based marginalization, expanding subsidy programs for low-income elderly populations, and integrating culturally sensitive designs into urban planning such as accessible infrastructure and multigenerational housing models. Jurisprudential mechanisms, including endowments (waqf), should be leveraged as legally enforceable tools to supplement public funding and ensure sustainable housing solutions. Legal reforms are equally vital to fortify protections against exploitative practices, particularly for vulnerable groups like elderly women and rural communities. International cooperation remains pivotal to sharing best practices, particularly in adapting policies to demographic shifts and resource constraints. Future research should explore comparative models of elderly housing provision, emphasizing the role of Islamic legal institutions in advocacy and the efficacy of binding legal frameworks. Ultimately, transforming societal perceptions of aging from viewing the elderly as burdens to rights-bearing individuals is essential to fostering inclusive societies. Institutionalizing elderly rights within enforceable legal systems, informed by Islamic jurisprudential principles and global human rights norms, will be decisive in achieving equitable housing outcomes for this rapidly growing demographic. Keywords: Human rights; Aging; Right to adequate housing; Government Obligations; Islamic jurisprudence.

References:

منابع
احسائى، احمدابن ابی الجمهور (1403ه.ق). عوالى اللآلى. (تحقیق مجتبی عراقی). قم: مطبعة سیدالشهداء.
افشاری، محمدحسین(1394). رساله حقوق امام سجاد علیه السلام. قم: انتشارات مشهور.
ایده، آسبیرون 1389). حقوق اجتماعی اقتصادی فرهنگی. ترجمه گروه مترجمان. تهران: انتشارات مجد.
برقی، احمد بن محمد بن خالد(۱۳۷۱ ق). المحاسن. مصحح، محدث، جلال‌الدین، جلد 2، قم: دارالکتب الاسلامیه.
پاینده، ابوالقاسم(1382) .نهج الفصاحه. جلد1، تهران: دنیای دانش.
حر عاملی، محمد بن حسن. (1409ه.ق). وسائل الشیعه. جلد ۵ و21 قم: مؤسسه آل البیت (علیه‌السلام).
دهقان بنادکی، مهدیه(2023). بررسی وضعیت سالمندی در ایران آینده و چالش‌های آن (1) (19086). تهران: مرکز پژوهش‌های مجلس شورای اسلامی. https://sid.ir/paper/1090787/fa.
رضائیان، علی(1379). مدیریت رفتار سازمانی. تهران: انتشارات سمت.
طبرسی، حسن بن فضل(1370). مکارم الأخلاق. قم: الشريف الرضي.
عمید زنجانی، عباسعلی(1390). قواعد فقه. جلد 1، تهران: انتشارات سمت.
کلینی، محمد بن یعقوب(1363). الكافي. مصحح: غفاری، علی اکبر؛ آخوندی، محمد، جلد5و۶، تهران: دار الکتب الاسلامیه.
کلینی، محمد بن یعقوب(1388). فروع کافی. گروه مترجمان، جلد5، قم: انتشارات قدس.
مجلسی، محمدباقر بن محمدتقی؛ مفضل بن عمر؛ فربودی، محمد(1388). توحید مفضل. قم: نشر بقیة الله (عج).
محقق داماد، سید مصطفی(1383). قواعد فقه. جلد1، تهران. مرکز نشر علوم اسلامی.
محمدی ری‌شهری، محمد(1389). میزان الحکمه. ترجمه؛ شیخی، حمیدرضا، جلد2 ، قم: مؤسسه علمی فرهنگی دار الحديث.
مطهری، مرتضی(1361). مبانی اقتصاد اسلامی. تهران: انتشارات حکمت.
مکارم شیرازی، ناصر(1370). القواعد الفقهیه، جلد۱. قم: مدرسة الإمام علي بن أبي طالب (علیه السلام).
موسوی خمینی‌، روح‌الله(۱۳۷۹). تحریرالوسیله، جلد 2، تهران: مؤسسه تنظيم و نشر آثار امام خمينی (س).
موسوی خمینی، روح الله(1382). شرح حدیث جنود عقل و جهل. تهران: مؤسسه تنظیم و نشر آثار امام خمینی.
هاشمی شاهرودی، محمود(1432ه ق). موسوعة الفقه الإسلامي المقارن، جلد 6، قم: مؤسسه دائرة المعارف فقه اسلامی بر مذهب اهل بيت (عليهم السلام).

منابع انگلیسی
CESCR General Comment No. 4: The Right to Adequate Housing (Art. 11 (1) of the Covenant) Adopted at the Sixth Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, on 13 December 1991 (Contained in Document E/1992/23).
CESCR General Comment No 7: The Right to Adequate Housing (Art. 11 (1) of the Covenant): Forced EvictionsMay 20, 1997 (E/1998/22)
CESCR, U.(1990). General Comment No. 3, The Nature of States Parties’ Obligations.
Courtis, C(2012). Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Normative standards in international human rights law in relation to older persons. Analytical Outcome Paper.
Farha, L(2019). Guidelines for the implementation of the right to adequate housing: Report of the special rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context. A/HRC/43/43. UN. Accessed November 15, 2020, from http://digitallibrary. un. org/record/3872412.
Habitat, U. N. (2009). The right to adequate housing fact sheet no. 21/Rev. 1. Geneva: UN.
Inter-American Convention on Protecting the Human Rights of Older Persons (A-70) (2015)
Mégret, F. (2011). The human rights of older persons: a growing challenge. Human rights Law review, 11(1),.
Mirkin, B., & Weinberger, M. B. (2000). The demography of population ageing: Citeseer.
Mitonga, H. K., & Shilunga, A. P. K. (2021). International health care systems: Models, components, and goals. In Handbook of Global Health (pp. 1369-1387): Springer.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. FactSheetNo.21/Rev. 1: The Right to Adequate Housing. (2009).
Report of the World Assembly on Aging, Vienna, 26 July-6 August 1982, UNSalesNo.E.82.1.16. (1982).
Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, 1-43, UN Doc. A/CONF.1979, UN Sales No. E.02.IV.4, (2002)
Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Human Rights Situation of Older Persons (E/2012/51),
Report of the Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of All Human Rights by Older Persons: Older persons and the right to adequate housing, A/77/239 (July 19, 2022)
Rodriíguez-Pinzón, D. (2016). Inter-American convention on protecting the human rights of older persons. International Legal Materials, 55(5), 985-1006.
Spanier, B., & Doron, I. I. (2018). The European Social Charter and the rights of older persons. In Ageing, Ageism and the Law (pp. 146-173): Edward Elgar Publishing.
UNCHS(Habitat). (1999). “Guidelines on practical aspects in the realisation of the human right to adequate housing. including the formulation of the United Nations Housing Rights Programme, Progress report of the Executive Director to the seventeenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements (HS/C/17/INF/6),Nairobi,paragraph30.availableon-line at: http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/housingrights/Other_UNHRP_documents.asp).
Work, A. P. (2010). European charter of the rights and responsibilities of older people in need of long-term care and assistance. AGE General Assembly, Brussels. Available at:http://www.age-platform.eu/images/stories/22204_ AGE_charte_europeenne_EN_v4. pdf (accessed 20 January )2011).
World Bank (2000), World Development Report, Washington, Table 1.1
World Health Organization. (2015). World report on ageing and health.
World Health Organization. (2018). WHO housing and health guidelines: Recommendations to Promote Healthy Housing for a Sustainable and Equitable Future. World Health Organization, November, 23.