{"id":"a-2025-24","name":"Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025","slug":"human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"act","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"24 of 2025","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":23738,"registerId":"act-a-2025-24-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025","content":"J2024-1472\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nAustralian Capital Territory\nHuman Rights (Housing) Amendment\nAct 2025\nA2025-24\nAn Act to amend the Human Rights Act 2004\nThe Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory enacts as follows:\n\nSection 1\npage 2 Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025 A2025-24\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n1 Name of Act\nThis Act is the Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025.\n2 Commencement\n(1) This Act (other than section 5) commences on 1 January 2027.\nNote The naming and commencement provisions automatically commence on\nthe notification day (see Legislation Act, s 75 (1)).\n(2) Section 5 commences on 1 January 2029.\n3 Legislation amended\nThis Act amends the Human Rights Act 2004.\n4 New section 27D\nin part 3A, insert\n27D Right to housing\n(1) Everyone has the right to adequate housing.\n(2) The immediately realisable aspects of this right are the following:\n(a) everyone is entitled to enjoy this right without discrimination;\n(b) no-one may be unlawfully or arbitrarily evicted from their\nhome;\n(c) no-one may have an essential utility service to their home\nunlawfully or arbitrarily withdrawn.\n5 Section 27D (2)\nomit everything before paragraph (a), substitute\n(2) Immediately realisable aspects of this right include the following:\n\nSection 6\nA2025-24 Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025 page 3\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n6 New section 44\ninsert\n44 Review of right to housing\n(1) The Minister must review the operation of section 27D (Right to\nhousing).\n(2) The Minister must present a report of the review to the Legislative\nAssembly as soon as practicable after the end of 5 years after the day\nthis section commences.\n(3) This section expires 6 years after the day it commences.\n7 ICESCR source of human rights\nSchedule 2, new item 3\ninsert\n3 27D right to housing 11 (1)\n\npage 4 Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025 A2025-24\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nEndnotes\n1 Presentation speech\nPresentation speech made in the Legislative Assembly on 10 April 2025.\n2 Notification\nNotified under the Legislation Act on 3 October 2025.\n3 Republications of amended laws\nFor the latest republication of amended laws, see www.legislation.act.gov.au.\nI certify that the above is a true copy of the Human Rights (Housing) Amendment\nBill 2025, which was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 17 September 2025.\nClerk of the Legislative Assembly\n© Australian Capital Territory 2025","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: inserting a right to housing into the Human Rights Act 2004. The scope has not expanded beyond this single amendment."},"complexity_factors":["Very short amending statute (7 operative sections across 4 pages)","Only 1 new substantive right created (section 27D) with 3 specific protections","Minimal defined terms (relies on existing definitions in principal Act)","Simple conditional logic (commencement dates and review timing only)","Single cross-reference to ICESCR (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) in Schedule 2","No nested exceptions or complex procedural requirements"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act adds a right to adequate housing to the ACT Human Rights Act 2004, protecting access on equal terms and prohibiting unlawful or arbitrary evictions and disconnection of essential services. It empowers courts, limits government action, and particularly affects renters and people facing housing insecurity.\n\nIt’s the first enshrinement of housing rights in Australian law, creating legal grounds to challenge unfair evictions or utility cutoffs; most provisions start 1 January 2027."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This Act expands the Human Rights Act 2004 by inserting an explicit right to adequate housing (s27D) and identifying immediately realisable aspects (non‑discrimination; eviction; utility disconnection). It adds a time‑bound ministerial review requirement (s44) and maps the right to ICESCR Article 11(1) (Schedule 2). The changes commence 1 Jan 2027, with a textual amendment to s27D(2) deferred to 1 Jan 2029 (s2, s5)."},"complexity_factors":["Adds a single, self-contained right but uses open terms (\"adequate housing\", \"unlawful or arbitrary\") that require interpretation (s27D).","Specifies immediately realisable aspects narrowly (non‑discrimination; eviction; utility disconnection), reducing some interpretive scope but leaving enforcement mechanisms to existing law (s27D).","Staggered commencement: most provisions start 1 Jan 2027; a drafting change to s27D(2) starts 1 Jan 2029 (commencement provisions, s2 and s5).","Mandated Ministerial review with a reporting deadline tied to the review period and an expiry of the review power after 6 years creates a fixed oversight window (s44).","Formal linkage to ICESCR Article 11(1) may influence statutory interpretation and comparative law reliance (Schedule 2, new item 3).","Potential administrative and compliance burdens for landlords, utilities and housing regulators; likely increase in disputes and judicial review about scope and application where statutory remedies are unspecified (s27D)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act adds an explicit right to \"adequate housing\" to the Human Rights Act 2004 (s27D). It lists immediately realisable elements: non‑discrimination, protection from unlawful or arbitrary eviction, and protection from unlawful or arbitrary disconnection of essential utilities.\n\nThe Minister must review the new right after five years and report to the Assembly (s44). The change creates compliance obligations for landlords, utilities and administrators, gives the Minister review discretion, and may prompt new litigation about what \"adequate\" and \"unlawful or arbitrary\" mean (s27D)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025","history":"/api/acts/human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/human-rights-housing-amendment-act-2025/documents"}}