relating governments' budgets to the right to housing

Decisions from courts are important not simply for the parties involved, but because they help shape our understanding of specific rights and the related government obligations.  The most well-known right to housing case that involves government budgets is Government of the Republic of South Africa. & Ors v Grootboom & Ors 2000, otherwise known as the “Grootboom case.”   The plaintiffs in the case charged that the government was violating their constitutional rights to adequate housing under articles 26 and 28 of the South African Constitution.  The Constitutional Court used a “reasonableness” test to assess whether the government was allocating its resources appropriately.  The decision was that it was not, as people without any form of shelter should be prioritized in the government’s policies and allocations.