The main reason why the housing issue takes a back seat in the crisis response process is related to political factors.
Modern.az reports that Sultan Barakat, Professor of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University of Qatar Foundation and Honorary Professor at York University, stated this during his speech at the panel session titled “Housing at the Center of Post-Crisis Recovery and Reconstruction” within the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku.
According to him, unlike temporary shelter, the housing issue carries serious political significance:
“Conflicts are often related to territory, forced displacement of people, and the removal of certain communities. Therefore, the political side of the housing issue is quite significant.”
The professor noted that the central role of housing in the recovery process is not a new idea:
“The research I prepared on this topic approximately 25 years ago remains relevant today. We all understand that housing is one of the key elements of both recovery and the economy.”
He also emphasized that housing policy should be tailored to the specific circumstances of each country and each crisis:
“The approach to housing will be different in every context. If there is a peace agreement, political stability, and the will of the government, the process is managed more easily. But if the conflict continues or if there are goals such as ethnic cleansing, this issue becomes extremely sensitive.”
Sultan Barakat stated that international organizations often prefer a humanitarian approach:
“The humanitarian approach allows for saving human lives and is considered a safer model to avoid responsibility for political consequences.”
According to the professor, this approach weakens the initiative of internally displaced persons:
“It is necessary to preserve people's will to build their own future and their ability to organize. The existing humanitarian system mainly focuses on saving lives, and less attention is paid to preserving people's motivation and faith in the future.”
He noted that internally displaced families begin to think about reconstruction from the very first days:
“As soon as people achieve some stability, they think about the future. We must not allow a gap to form between their desire for reconstruction and the planning processes.”
