Episode 1: Chabahar Captives

Location: Chabahar

People were still struggling with the coronavirus when news broke that the tents of approximately thirty families from the marginalized community of Jangulak in Chabahar county were engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes. The cause of this incident was apparently a fire that broke out during cooking and quickly spread to other areas due to the materials used in the tents (canvas, wood, composite and compressed insulation). Although there were no casualties, the little property these people had was completely destroyed.

The Jangulak community has been living in this area for about thirty years. Gradually, various government agencies such as the oil company, relief committee, and other government offices entered the area, but the government still did not allow these families to build permanent homes. They are still considered outsiders and have no rights to the land they have been living on for years. Meanwhile, the residents of these tents do not have access to basic amenities such as water, electricity, sanitation, and schools. The people here have

Episode 2: Asieh Panahi

Location: Kermanshah

The members of the Kermanshah Municipality’s executive team went to Sajjadiyeh neighborhood and demolished some of the houses that were allegedly built without permission in the area. One of these houses was a small room belonging to Asieh Panahi and her family, who had only been living there for four days. Asieh Panahi, a 55-year-old middle-aged woman, tragically lost her life in a confrontation with the municipality officials and their assisting forces. This incident received widespread coverage in the media.

During this demolition, approximately thirty other houses were also destroyed under the pretext of illegal construction.

There are several underlying issues that can be observed here. Firstly, the fact that citizens have reached a point of homelessness where they are forced to risk their lives to protect their homes, and the government is not taking responsibility for compensating them or providing them with shelter. Secondly, the violent actions of the officials and their use of unlawful tools such as pepper spray and tear

Episode 3: The Blind Woman and Her Disabled Child

Location: Torbat-e-Jam

The municipality of Torbat-e Jam in Khorasan Razavi province sealed the house of a blind elderly woman and her disabled child with a cement block. This is not one of those events that goes unnoticed and gets lost in the midst of a large number of news and you are the only one looking for the reason behind it. Because the individuals involved are known and it is known that two vulnerable and disabled individuals were supposed to be left homeless. This action by the municipality of Torbat-e Jam was met with widespread protests in the media and on social media. Due to the volume of emotions, especially after the death of Asieh Panahi, the municipality finally agreed to remove the block.

After the news and photos of the municipality of Torbat-e Jam sealing the house of the blind woman and her disabled child were published, the municipality responded to the media by saying that they were not aware of the presence of the blind owner and her disabled child and only found out about the situation after sealing

Having shelter is a fundamental right.

At the second Human Settlements Conference held in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996, a comprehensive definition of housing (shelter) was presented. According to this definition, shelter is not just a roof over one’s head, but a suitable place where there is comfort, adequate space, physical accessibility and security, ownership security, stability and durability, acceptable lighting and ventilation. Additionally, suitable housing includes basic infrastructure such as sanitation and education, water supply, waste disposal, etc.

Therefore, the concept of housing includes not only a physical location, but also essential services and facilities for a family, as well as education, health and employment plans for its members. This is while in Iran, a large portion of the population is deprived of even having a roof over their heads, let alone a suitable home.

International regulations also emphasize the fundamental right to housing. One of the rights mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the right to a decent standard of living, which includes providing the minimum of food

Becoming a homeowner

Despite the fact that since the revolution, the concern of home ownership has always existed for the people, the process of buying a house remains difficult until now, especially with the current economic conditions. People are also facing severe difficulties in renting a house. Many have given up on the idea of buying a house and have resorted to living on the outskirts of the city, accepting the problems of living in informal settlements as there seems to be no other solution for them.

As capital has fled from the production sector and has taken root in the housing sector, houses have become like luxury goods and, like other essential goods, their prices continue to rise. This is happening while many houses, especially in Tehran, are empty and a large portion of these houses are non-functional, luxurious, and have a high square footage, which has made it difficult for low-income workers to afford them. These workers, who have to spend a large portion of their income on housing, are forced to live on the outskirts of the

Unregulated housing market and uncertain future

Whenever the topic of housing and the right to shelter for all citizens arises, unconsciously all fingers point towards the hands of those behind the scenes and the housing mafia, without any real action being taken to expose these faces. Especially in recent years, some individuals with connections and involvement in the real estate market have been able to profit greatly and line their pockets with dirty money.

While in the previous government there was talk of the Mehr housing plan, which due to its instability and inaccessibility, has caused numerous problems, the current government has completely abandoned the housing market without any supervision or control, and is not taking any constructive action.

Now, considering the economic situation of the country and the rising inflation rate, the livelihood of many individuals, especially those living on the margins, has significantly declined, and due to the negligence of relevant organizations, the housing situation and the future of families has been overshadowed by dark clouds of hopelessness.

Now the question arises, should we hope that what happened to the