Understanding Housing, Land and Property in Somalia

Housing, land and property (HLP) [blank_start]rights[blank_end] are about having a home, free from the fear of [blank_start]forced eviction[blank_end]; a place that offers [blank_start]shelter[blank_end], [blank_start]safety[blank_end] and the ability to secure a livelihood.

In most countries, HLP rights can be exercised through different forms of land tenure arrangements mainly categorized as?

What do HLP rights entail? (choose more than one option)

Due to land tenure arrangement in most countries most persons are not entitled to some HLP rights. IDPs living in informal settlements, do not possess a ‘legal’ right to occupy the land hence no right to adequate housing but they are protected against forced evictions.

[blank_start]Forced evictions[blank_end] is defined as the permanent or temporary [blank_start]removal[blank_end] against their will of individuals, families and/or communities from the homes and/or land which they [blank_start]occupy[blank_end], without the provision of, and access to, appropriate forms of legal or other [blank_start]protection[blank_end]

HLP issues need to be addressed from the very beginning by looking holistically at short / medium- and long-term solutions for both displaced and host communities. In practice all actors would need to focus on:

The responsibility to protect against forced eviction and to ensure equal access to housing is held by states. This differentiates the role of humanitarian organisations in responding to crises from the governments of the countries in which they operate.

Working on HLP issues with a longer-term perspective [blank_start]necessitates[blank_end] a shift in focus away from [blank_start]purely humanitarian[blank_end] language and programming towards approaches that take a more [blank_start]sustainable lens[blank_end]