Addressing the Housing Affordability Challenge: A Shared Responsibility
On World Cities Day, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, presents some recommendations on how to ensure affordable, accessible, and adequate housing for all.
Contestations over Informal Settlements: Which Way Forward? An Interview
Ethiopia is experiencing unprecedented population growth. Despite large government housing programs, there are more and more informal settlements in the country, and cases of forceful displacement and evictions are on the rise. In the virtual event “Ways forward for informal settlements”, Tania Berger from Danube University Krems discusses options for inclusive urbanisation with an international panel.
Why Housing Matters: The Impact of Affordable Housing for People on Low Incomes
Good and affordable housing is key to people’s well-being. Andrew Jones presents the latest research from social enterprise Reall and unpacks what impact it has on the bottom 40 per cent of the income pyramid.
Unplanned Housing in Bangladesh: The Problem with Housing Societies
When the government can’t provide sufficient housing, private co-operatives seem like a good idea – until they are not. Dr Mohammad Rezaul Karim provides a rare insight into the housing situation in urban Bangladesh and the consequences of unplanned housing.
India’s Housing Crisis: A Gender Perspective
With 17 per cent of India's urban population living in informal settlements, affordable housing has become a pressing issue. It is imperative, writes Swapnil Saxena, that any housing scheme recognises the particular vulnerabilities women experience in urban settings and focusses on women’s rights.
It’s Time to Change the Housing Conversation
Safe, affordable housing is not an end in itself but should be interwoven with other interventions to improve access to related services and benefits. As the pandemic exacerbates shortcomings in housing programmes around the world, Vidhee Garg on the need to re-think housing and to look beyond its purely quantitative aspects.