Housing policy should be built on a comprehensive approach.
Modern.az reports that this was stated by Anaklaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the UN-Habitat Program, at the panel session titled "Global Housing Crisis: What's the Plan?" within the 13th session of the World Urban Forum held in Baku.
She noted that housing policy should be integrated with the legal framework, land management, and urban planning.
"Especially informal settlements remain a serious problem on a global scale. Today, more than one billion people live in informal settlements. The development of cities and regions should be planned with a holistic approach. The housing issue should be linked to social, economic, and climate goals."
She also stated that housing provision does not only mean the construction of new buildings.
"The possibilities of converting unused or unfinished buildings in cities into living spaces for low-income populations should also be considered. Informal settlements have created access to cities for millions of people. In many countries, investment in these areas has become part of the economic development strategy."
The UN official also spoke about the importance of self-build and community-based housing models:
"Phased and flexible housing solutions can meet the needs of youth, the elderly, internally displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and low-income families. In addition, land management and property security are also among the key issues."
According to her, land is the most expensive resource in housing production.
"Therefore, the social and ecological function of land should be reflected in legal frameworks and urban plans. Traditional housing finance systems cannot meet the needs of all social groups. That is why a number of countries prefer alternative and innovative financial mechanisms."
In her speech, A. Rossbach also touched upon Kenya's experience, stating that the country has managed to build 270,000 housing units in the last three years through various financial models:
"Countries do not apply ready-made models as they are, they adapt them to their own realities."
It is also important to consider urban planning and the climate agenda together. Currently, urban expansion is mainly related to housing construction, and this process has a serious impact on carbon emissions."
She added that the construction sector accounts for approximately 34 percent of global CO2 emissions.
"Preventing urban sprawl and using ecological building materials are important. Strengthening the capacities of local governance and communities should be one of the main priorities for solving housing problems," she noted.
