The Holy See called on the United Nations for a change of approach in housing policies, warning that reducing a home to a commodity or a mere financial asset means forgetting its most essential dimension: the dignity of the person.
During a meeting of the UN General Assembly on the New Urban Agenda, Monsignor Robert D. Murphy, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See, argued that access to decent housing is an indispensable requirement for human development, family life and the common good.
Much more than a roof
In an intervention focused on the person as the axis of urban development, Murphy recalled that a city cannot be measured solely by the strength of its economy or the growth of its infrastructure, but by its capacity to ensure that all its inhabitants can live with dignity and participate fully in society.
For this reason, he described homelessness as “a grave affront to human dignity.” Those who lack a home, he explained, not only lose a roof, but also the security, stability, privacy and sense of belonging necessary to build a personal, family and community life.
The Holy See representative stated that housing must be understood “not only as a commodity or a financial asset, but as a pillar of society at the service of the common good.” From this perspective, he encouraged States to promote policies that facilitate access to affordable housing and address the root causes of social exclusion, such as poverty, unemployment, addiction, mental illness, family breakdown or forced displacement.
A particularly timely message in Spain
Murphy’s words come at a time when access to housing has become one of the main social concerns in Spain. The latest data from the main real-estate portals show that the average price of a home already exceeds 250,000 euros, after a year-on-year increase of 16.2 %, while rental prices have risen 6.8 % in the last year, reaching historic highs.
This increase makes it increasingly difficult for many people and families to access decent housing under fair and stable conditions.
When a home becomes an increasingly inaccessible good, the consequences go beyond the economic sphere and affect the stability of families, the rootedness of individuals and the cohesion of society as a whole.
Authentically human development
During his intervention, Murphy cited the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Leo XIV to recall that “a just society requires a vigilant State and civil institutions capable of overcoming the exclusive logic of efficiency” and protecting the most vulnerable. He also evoked another statement by the Pontiff that sums up the core of the Holy See’s message: “development is truly human when it places people at the center.”
With this intervention, the Holy See reminded the international community that the response to the housing crisis cannot be limited to financial or urban-planning criteria. For the Church’s social doctrine, access to a decent home constitutes a necessary condition for protecting human dignity, strengthening families and promoting a society truly oriented toward the common good.