A/HRC/37/53 efficacy and challenges the stigmatization, marginalization and discrimination that lies behind failures of housing systems. A housing strategy must engage a multiplicity of allocated responsibilities and jurisdictions of various levels of government and departments. 8. To meet the commitments of the 2030 Agenda, a housing strategy must ensure that no one is left behind. In other words, it must aim to change societies in which significant numbers of people are deprived of the right to adequate housing, into societies in which everyone has access to adequate housing and in which housing is a means to ensure dignity, security and inclusion in sustainable communities. III. The value of a human rights-based housing strategy 9. Governments and other actors frequently ask about the value of using a human rights framework in the area of housing policy. The Special Rapporteur has identified the following factors that make a human rights framework critical to the effectiveness of housing strategies. Human rights problems must be identified and addressed as such 10. The lived experience of homelessness and inadequate housing challenges the very core of what it means to be human, assaulting dignity and threatening life itself. It is these experiences that make homelessness and inadequate housing violations of human rights and not merely programme failures. Human rights change the way Governments interact with people 11. Those who are homeless or living in inadequate housing are traditionally regarded as recipients, beneficiaries or “objects” of government or charitable programmes. When recognized as rights holders, however, they are active subjects, empowered to engage and be involved in decisions affecting their lives and the enjoyment of their rights. This means they can assist in ensuring strategies are responsive to their lived experiences and are thus more effective. Human rights help to identify gaps and structural weaknesses in housing systems and programmes 12. Those who are homeless or living in inadequate housing are uniquely situated to identify shortcomings or problems in housing policies and programmes. By recognizing the expertise of rights holders, a human rights framework acts as an ongoing corrective mechanism through which to reassess the components of housing strategies with a view to ensuring that no one is left behind and that progress is continuously achieved. Human rights clarify decision-making and accountability 13. International human rights law is very clear regarding who is accountable to whom: all levels of government are accountable to people, particularly marginalized and vulnerable groups. Human rights make it clear that, while ensuring access to adequate housing for all involves many actors, it is in fact a legal obligation of States to be both a key actor and a regulator of private actors. Human rights have primacy over other laws and provide a framework for governance and all decision-making 14. Human Rights apply to a broad range of policies and programmes, bringing coherence and coordination to multiple areas of law and policy through a common purpose and shared set of values. They are responsive to context and specific circumstances while at the same time incorporating universal norms. Human rights are transformational 15. Human rights claims identify systems, structures and barriers that obstruct the realization of the right to housing and create change by ensuring effective remedies. The 4