Housing is a human right. Homelessness is a violation of that right.

As of today, 150 million people around the world are living in homelessness. That’s equivalent to the entire population of the UK and France combined. Covid-19 has only exacerbated the housing crisis and revealed it for what it is: a human rights calamity. Never before has access to a safe and adequate home been such a stark matter of life or death.

The suffering of 150 million people without access to adequate housing, water, and sanitation services is unimaginable. But imagine the power of 150 million people claiming their political voice and demanding their human rights.

The Shift has collaborated with more than 30 organizations from 20 countries around the world to amplify the voices of people living in homelessness through the Global Homelessness Action. On December 7, we issued a Call to Action to government officials in over 150 countries demanding they take urgent measures to eliminate homelessness by:

(1) Engaging people living in homelessness as rights holders and experts in their own lives, not as criminals or beneficiaries of charity;

(2) Immediately providing adequate accommodation to all people living ‘rough’ or on the streets, ensuring access to water, sanitation, food, social supports, and health services during the pandemic and beyond.

(3) Placing people living in homelessness at the forefront of all COVID-19 economic recovery plans and recognizing them as a protected and priority group in all areas of action;

(4) Stoping the criminalization people living on the streets and activities necessary for their human survival; and

(5) Ensuring people living in homelessness have access to free legal information, advice, and remedies regarding violations of their right to housing and other human rights.

It’s time for governments to step up. Join us in holding them accountable.

Sign the Global Homelessness Action petition to demonstrate your support, and download and complete the Call to Action letter template to send to your country's government official:

Algeria – Minister of Housing & Urban Development, Kamel Nasri: ministere_mhuv@mhuv.gov.dz

Australia – Minister for Health, Greg Hunt: greg.hunt.mp@aph.gov.au

Bahamas – Minister of Environment & Housing, Romauld Ferreira: camillejohnson@bahamas.gov.bs

Barbados – Prime Minister, Mia Mottley: mia.amor.mottley@barbados.gov.bb

Belgium – Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo: contact@premier.be

Botswana – Minister of Infrastructure & Housing Development, Mmusi Kgafela: bgcis@gov.bw

Brazil – Regional Development Minister, Rogerio Marinho: dep.rogeriomarinho@camara.leg.br

Bulgaria – Minister of Regional Development & Public Works, Petya Avramova: oprd@mrrb.government.bg

Burkina Faso – Minister for Housing & Urban Planning, Maurice Dieudonné Bonanet: infos@mhu.gov.bf

Burundi – Minister of Infrastructures, Equipment & Social Housing, Deogratias Nsanganiyumwami: odr@usan-bu.net

Cameroon – Minister of Housing & Urban Development, Célestine Courtes: contact@spm.gov.cm

Canada – Minister of Families, Children & Social Development, Ahmed Hussen: ahmed.hussen@parl.gc.ca

China – President, Xi Jinping: gov@govonline.cn

Colombia – Minister of Housing, City & Territory, Jonathan Malagón González: correspondencia@minvivienda.gov.co​

Croatia – Advisor to the President of the Republic for Human Rights & Civil Society, Melita Mulic: melita.mulic@predsjednik.hr

Cuba – Minister of Construction, René Mesa Villafaña: despacho@micons.cu 

Czech Republic – Ministry of Regional Development, Klara Dostalova: ministr@mmr.cz

Denmark – Minister of Housing, Kaare Dybvad: trm@trm.dk

Egypt – Ministry of Housing, Utilities & Urban Communities, Assem el Gazzar: housing@moh.gov.eg

Finland – Minister of Family Affairs & Social Services, Krista Kiuru: krista.kiuru@stm.fi

France – Ministère de la Transition écologique, Emmanuelle Wargon: emmanuelle.wargon@ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr

Georgia – Minister of Economy & Sustainable Development of Georgia, Natela Turnava: ministry@moesd.gov.ge

Germany – President of the Party of the European Left, Gregor Gysi: gregor.gysi@bundestag.de

Ghana – Minister of Works & Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea: info@mwh.gov.gh

Hong Kong – Chief Executive Officer, Carrie Lam: ceo@ceo.gov.hk

Hungary – Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán: miniszterelnok@mk.gov.hu

Iceland – Minister of Social Affairs & Children, Ásmundur Einar Daðason: frn@frn.is

India – Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal: cmdelhi@nic.in

Ireland – Minister for Housing & Local Government, Darragh O'Brien: minister@housing.gov.ie​

Italy – Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte: presidente@pec.governo.it

Ivory Coast – Minister of Construction, Housing, & Urban Development, Bruno Kone: info@ministere-construction.ci

Jamaica – Prime Minister, Andrew Holness: opmnews@opm.gov.jm

Japan – Minister of Health, Labour & Welfare, Norihisa Tamura: www-admin@mhlw.go.jp

Kenya – Principal Secretary for the State Department for Housing & Urban Development, Charles Hinga Mwaura: PS@housingandurban.go.ke

Lithuania – Minister of the Environment, Kęstutis Navickas: diana.minelgiene@am.lt

Mexico – Minister of Labor & Social Welfare, Luisa María Alcalde Luján: asuntos.internacionales@stps.gob.mx

Morocco – Minister of National Land Use, Planning, Town Planning, Housing & City Policy, Nouzha Bouchareb: contact@mhpv.gov.ma

Mozambique – Minister of Public Works, Housing & Water Resources, João Osvaldo Machatine: mophrh@mophrh.gov.mz

New Zealand – Minister of Housing, Dr. Megan Woods: megan.woodsmp@parliament.govt.nz

Nigeria – Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola: info@worksandhousing.gov.ng

Nigeria – Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu Fatai: mafatai@lagosstate.gov.ng

Northern Ireland – Communities Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín: private.office@communities-ni.gov.uk

Norway – Minister of Local Government & Modernisation, Nikolai Astrup: postmottak@kmd.dep.no

Pakistan – Minister of Housing & Works, Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema: info@mohw.gov.pk

Philippines – Chairman of Department of Human Settlements & Urban Development, Eduardo del Rosario: info@dhsud.gov.ph

Poland – Minister of Family, Labour & Social Policy, Marlena Malag: kontakt@kprm.gov.pl

Rwanda – Minister for Infrastructure, Claver Gatete: info@mininfra.gov.rw

Scotland – Minister for Local Government, Housing & Planning, Kevin Stewart: scottish.ministers@gov.scot

Senegal – Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Public Hygiene, Abdou Karim Fofana: contacts@urbanisme.gouv.sn

Singapore – Minister of National Development, Desmond Lee: mnd_hq@mnd.gov.sg

Slovakia – State Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and the Family, Soňa Gaborčáková: sona.gaborcakova@employment.gov.sk

Slovenia – Minister of Infrastructure, Jernej Vrtovec: gp.mzi@gov.si

Somalia – Minister of Public Work, Reconstruction & Housing, Ahmed Mohamed Iman: dg@mpwr.gov.so

South Africa – Minister of Human Settlements, Water & Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu: francois.hugo@dhs.gov.za

South Korea – Minister Nominee for Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport, Chang-heum Byun: changbyeon@sejong.ac.kr

Spain – Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz Pérez: portal@mites.gob.es

Sri Lanka – State Minister of Rural Housing, Construction & Building Materials Industries Promotion, Indika Anuruddha Herath: minister@houseconmin.gov.lk

Sweden – Minister of Financial Markets & Housing, Per Bolund: finansdepartementet.registrator@gov.se

Switzerland – Federal Councillor for the Department of Economic Affairs, Education & Research, Guy Parmelin: info@gs-wbf.admin.ch

Tanzania – Minister of Lands, Housing & Human Settlements Development, William Lukuvi: ps@lands.go.tz

Uganda – The Minister of State of Housing, Chris Baryomunsi: mlhud@mlhud.go.ug

United Kingdom – Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government, Robert Jenrick: robert.jenrick.mp@parliament.uk

United States of America – Secretary of Housing & Urban Development, Marcia Fudge

Viet Nam – Minister of Construction, Phạm Hồng Hà: boxaydung@moc.gov.vn

Wales – Minister of Housing & Local Government, Julie James: Correspondence.Julie.James@gov.wales

Zambia – Minister of Housing & Infrastructure Development, Vincent Mwale: info@MHID.gov.zm

Zimbabwe – Minister of Local Government & Public Works, July Moyo: pr@mlg.gov.zw

The Global Homelessness Action is an international digital initiative that provides people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to collectively claim their right to housing and demand urgent action from governments through video, audio, and written testimonies.

Convened by The Shift, the Action has brought together 30 organizations and hundreds of advocates from 20 different countries to support the human rights of people living in homelessness: MakeTheShift.org/HomelessnessAction.