Housing poverty – A lot of what has gone wrong in cities has something to do with housing in some form. The future of urbanization will thus be determined by how governments and localities prioritize housing in public discussions about sustainable development.
There is much evidence that housing is shaping cities around the world, from slums to gated communities, overcrowding to sprawl, homelessness to vacant houses. Unfortunately, in many cases, this results in fragmentation and inequalities. The resulting models have far-reaching social, environmental, and economical consequences that most communities cannot afford.
Struggle to find cheap housing
While the most pressing issue is a lack of adequate and affordable housing, as well as the unprecedented proliferation of slums, other significant challenges include the stock’s poor quality and location, which is often far from job and livelihood opportunities, as well as its lack of accessibility and services. With six out of every 10 people anticipated to live in urban areas by 2030, the world’s housing crisis is set to continue. Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean will account for more than 90% of this growth. Within a decade, it is anticipated that the struggle to find suitable and cheap housing will affect at least 1.6 billion people worldwide.
It is a fact that we cannot ignore. As a result, UN-Habitat has boosted its efforts in the run-up to Habitat III to re-establish housing as a priority in the debate over sustainable urbanization. Housing challenges in countries are increasing in such a manner that people are getting into trouble in searching for cheap yet ideal housing facilities.
It is a pressing need
The pressing need to provide appropriate housing to millions of people, as well as the necessity to do so in ways that ensure cities’ long-term viability, necessitates a paradigm change in housing policy and practice.
Sustainable Development Goal 11 is to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable,” and aims to guarantee everyone has access to appropriate, safe, and affordable housing and essential services, as well as to upgrade slums. The 2030 SDGs are unquestionably ambitious. However, to make them a reality, we must think creatively about how to provide housing for all people while also addressing affordability issues.
The bulk of persons in need of housing are poor, and they continue to address their housing requirements on their own, in small steps, and often informally. Incentives for housing finance providers who lend to low-income groups and alternative financial institutions for low-cost homes are needed to support creative and more inclusive housing finance systems. New approaches to tenure, collateralization, and guarantee mechanisms, as well as financial products tailored to progressive construction processes, must be promoted. Also, there are many catholic connect foundation those help people in need.
The future of cities is determined by how well and how quickly everyone has access to decent housing. Housing will be critical in accomplishing this goal and fostering inclusion and equality of opportunity in the urban development process if it is placed at the center of national and local urban agendas.
Why housing at the center?
Some basic guiding concepts should be examined to a position at the center:
- Housing is inextricably linked to urbanization while also serving as an integral component of urban planning.
- To ensure that everyone has access to decent, systemic reforms, strong states, and long-term policy and funding are required.
- Housing and slum-upgrading policies should be complemented by national strategies that include a specific action plan, a timeline, and mechanisms for guaranteeing that resources are available to implement them.
- Place matters and urbanization won’t be inclusive unless everyone has access to homes, services, and a means of subsistence.
- Human rights principles and norms are extremely important for urban development to achieve socially viable and inclusive cities.
The next and most critical stage is to put the Center into action on the ground. What follows, in terms of putting this strategy into action, should be the outcome of a shared commitment to advancing the progressive realization of the right to appropriate housing and creating a future where cities are places of opportunity for all.
Wrapping up
1.2 billion people live in poor housing today, and over 3 billion people will require a new home by 2030. The 7th Global Housing Finance Conference, held in May 2016, aimed to develop ways to make housing more accessible for everyone. We all need to be encouraged to contribute our thoughts on how to ensure that everyone has access to appropriate, safe affordable housing and basic services & help people in need.
