A/HRC/7/16 page 8 12. Developed countries are also gravely affected by this phenomenon. Although their financial resources are sufficient for achieving a high degree of realization of the right to adequate housing, they have not been able to prevent and resolve homelessness. In particular, homelessness as a result of housing affordability is severely impacting low-income families and progressing to include higher-level income households. 13. Causes for homelessness are diverse and multifaceted, including a lack of security of tenure, speculation in housing and land for investment purposes, and unplanned and forced urban migration. Added to this are destruction and displacement caused by forced evictions, conflicts, large-scale development projects or natural disasters.8 14. Affordability, one of the elements of the right to adequate housing, constitutes one of the main factors of homelessness. In this context, the Special Rapporteur notes with concern that urban “gentrification” processes, accompanied by rising property values and rental rates, are pushing low-income families into precarious situations, including homelessness. 15. The failure of legal systems to protect homeless and landless people across the world is coupled with a tendency to criminalize them and appears to be part of the trend towards increasing violence against them. C. Forced evictions 16. Whilst the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1993/77 recognized forced evictions as a gross violation of human rights, and particularly the right to adequate housing, this phenomenon continues with full force.9 This situation led the Special Rapporteur to devote one of his reports to this important issue10 and to subsequently lead an effort to develop operational standards on the subject. 17. Forced evictions constitute a violation of a wide range of human rights, and push people into poverty, homelessness and inadequate housing conditions. They have particularly adverse effects on women, children, and groups facing discrimination, such as indigenous peoples and minorities, and the socially and economically vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society. 18. Forced evictions result in displacement, loss of livelihood, property and belongings, and physical and psychological injury to those affected. The Special Rapporteur has proposed a range of measures that may be taken in order to address forced evictions, including: the adoption of national policies and legislation; the development by OHCHR of indicators on forced 8 Ibid. 9 See for instance Forced Evictions: Violations of Human Rights - Global Survey 10, Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (2006), available at http://www.cohre.org/view_page.php?page_ id=10 or Victims of the Violation of Housing and Land Rights, Housing and Land Rights Network (2007), available at http://www.hlrn.org/. 10 E/CN.4/2004/48.