Recent Evictions in Mexico City Spark Calls for Housing Rights Protection
Recent evictions in Mexico City, including incidents in the Roma and Centro Histórico neighborhoods where at least thirty families were removed from rental buildings, have prompted housing rights organizations to urge the capital’s government to establish protocols and regulations that safeguard the right to housing.
Government’s Protocol: A Step Forward, Yet Insufficient
The local government’s announcement of a protocol on evictions and the inclusion of measures in Decree 1 is acknowledged as progress by the Legal Clinic for Adequate Housing “María Luisa Marín” and the International Coalition for Habitat in Latin America (HIC-AL). However, these organizations stress that the actions must also reflect in civil legislation and judicial processes.
Proposed Legal Reforms to Address Evictions
The organizations emphasize the urgency of reforming the legal framework and strengthening protection for those facing eviction, adhering to international human rights standards. They propose:
- Strengthening procedural guarantees in rental disputes.
- Training judges and authorities on constitutional and international treaty interpretations related to housing.
- Implementing a mandatory eviction protocol ensuring transparent procedures with human rights perspectives.
- Ensuring alternative housing options through public policies for those facing housing loss.
“From this advocacy space, we will continue to contribute to the right to housing and trust that these proposals will be taken up by authorities and Congress for the benefit of those whose rights are daily violated in courts,” stated the Legal Clinic for Adequate Housing.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are the recent evictions in Mexico City about? Recent evictions have taken place in neighborhoods like Roma and Centro Histórico, affecting at least thirty families living in rental buildings.
- Who is calling for housing rights protection? Housing rights organizations, including the Legal Clinic for Adequate Housing “María Luisa Marín” and the International Coalition for Habitat in Latin America (HIC-AL).
- What progress has the local government made? The capital’s government announced a protocol on evictions and included measures in Decree 1.
- Why do organizations consider the current actions insufficient? They argue that these measures must also reflect in civil legislation and judicial processes to be truly effective.
- What legal reforms are proposed by these organizations? Strengthening procedural guarantees in rental disputes, training judges and authorities on housing-related constitutional and international interpretations, implementing a mandatory eviction protocol with transparent procedures and human rights perspectives, and ensuring alternative housing options through public policies.
