A majority of the public is dissatisfied with the government’s measures to make housing affordable and to handle cases of school bullying, according to a survey by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The survey results, released with an accompanying report at a news conference yesterday, found that nearly 60 percent of 3,264 respondents were not satisfied with the government’s efforts in ensuring housing rights, particularly in housing affordability.
Such sentiment is more pronounced among people aged 40 to 49 than any other age group, with nearly 70 percent expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s housing policy.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The report, based on a survey commissioned by the NHRC conducted between Sept. 20 and Oct. 15 last year, identified rising housing prices, an unstable rental market and a shortage of affordable housing as the main reasons for public dissatisfaction.
In addition, approximately 62 percent of those polled considered the government’s measures to tackle school bullying unsatisfactory, including reporting mechanisms, responses and support systems in the aftermath.
The NHRC indicated in the report that the dissatisfaction might be related to a lack of transparency in the reporting mechanism, delayed responses and inadequate support resources.
According to the NHRC, the survey aimed to assess public awareness of human rights conditions in Taiwan and identify the human rights issues that are most important to the public.
The survey findings showed that the most pressing human rights issues for the public were those concerning labor rights, followed by the right to housing and education.
NHRC Vice Chairwoman Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲) called on the government to pour in more resources to improve working conditions and protections for workers.
The government should also double down on its efforts to increase affordable housing and reduce the disparity in education resources, the report said.
Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌), an NHRC adviser, said the survey showed Taiwan is a country that places great importance on human rights, with 88.4 percent of respondents agreeing human rights issues should be emphasized in society.
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