1. Housing at the Centre of Urban Development
Lisette
Consultant
24 May 2017

2. Presentation Overview
Making the case for Housing
Housing and the New Urban Agenda
Housing Strategies: a three pronged approach
Measuring Impact
Best Practice Case Study: Brazil
Exercise & Discussion Questions

3. Let’s Take a Quick Quiz!
From your phone or computer go to:
Type in Pin Number: XXXXXXXXXXXX
EMBED HOUSING QUIZ KAHOT URL
Picture:

4. 1
Making the case for Housing

5. INCREASING HOUSING DEMAND
As urban population continues to grow, so does housing demand: By 2025, a billion new units will be needed to accommodate 50 million new urban dwellers per year.

6. AFFORDABILITY ISSUE Affordable housing is often inadequate.
Adequate housing is often unaffordable.

7. INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS
Today, around one quarter of the world’s population lives in slums and informal settlements.

8. INSUFFICIENT HOUSING FINANCE
Mortgages remain much more accessible to high or medium income households, excluding most low-income households.
Many governments around the world have encouraged owner occupation of fully serviced single-household dwellings, suitable for households in developed countries and the growing middle class in countries in transition and developing countries. Little or no effort has been made to encourage affordable rental or multi-occupied housing for low-income households. (source WCR)

9. Now for your city: what are the top 3 issues now?
Quantity/ supply versus demand
Affordability
Informal status
Insecurity of tenure
Unsustainable design
Risk exposure/ Vulnerability to disease
Insufficient housing finance
Lack of planning

10. And, what were the top 3 issues 10 years ago?
Quantity/supply versus demand
Affordability
Informal status
Insecurity of tenure
Unsustainable design
Risk exposure/ / Vulnerability to disease
Insufficient housing finance
Lack of planning

11. Impact of housing on cities
How housing is designed and regulated, ultimately defines the urban form of the city
Housing regulations greatly influence the spatial patterns, quality of and types of housing permitted in a city
The competitiveness of the city is affected by housing affordability
Access to housing finance determines the type and quality of housing people can afford, and where housing is ultimately located
Discussion question:
Which observations do you recognise in your city?

12. Impact of housing on cities
If the housing situation were improved, which urban problems in your city would you hope it might alleviate?
Pick the top three:
Urban Sprawl
Dis-connected urban fabric
Lack of basic infrastructure
Spatial inequality
Traffic congestion
Air pollution
Economic loss
Vulnerablity to disaster
What else?
Discussion question - how else does housing impact our cities?
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13. 2
Housing and the New Urban Agenda

14. A short history lesson on housing policy….

15. Government builds and manages supply of social/public housing
enabling
Now
At the centre
1960’s 70’s
Provision
Features
Basic needs
Government builds and manages supply of social/public housing
Supply of affordable units are directly subsidized by government and provided to low-income residents
Where in most post war cities around the world the focus was very much direct provision

16. Pre-fab in socialist countries
Budapest, Hungary

17. Public housing in Singapore & Hong Kong

18. Government and council estates in Europe
Lee – picture is too blurry when on slide show
Paris, France

19. Large scale privatization of housing stock in China
Residential Floor Space Completed in Shanghai by Source of Investment
Figure 6.2
(public sector)
(private developers)
Source: Shanghai Statistical Yearbook, 1996
Lee; this needs notes too. Not sure what you are trying to explain here other than a lot of space was added when the market opened up. So what?

20. Housing left to the market also means…
Picture:

21. Massive urbanization, accompanied by the rapid expansion of cities and metropolitan regions and the sprawling growth of megacities the world over, is one of the most important transformations of our planet. 
- Los Angeles, USA
Atlas of Urban Expansion, Lincoln Land Institute
Photo:
Source: Lincoln Land Institute. Atlas of Urban Expansion

22. Rapid Urbanization PRESS PLAY IN THE LOWER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF SLIDE
Resource: Atlas of Urban Expansion
Picture:
Source: Atlas of Urban Expansion

23. Housing has slipped from the development agenda since 1996
enabling
Now
At the centre
1960’s 70’s
Provision
Results:
Housing has slipped from the development agenda since 1996
Negative impact on affordability
Housing shortfalls now represent a challenge that is hard to measure
Massive urban sprawl due to unplanned development
In 2010, as many as 980 million urban households lacked decent housing.21 Another estimate shows that one billion new homes are needed worldwide by 2025, costing an estimated US$650 billion per year, or US$9-11 trillion overall.22 In addition, shortages in quality are much larger than those in quantity; in Latin America, 61 and 39 per cent respectively.23

24. AND IS NOW AT THE CENTRE OF THE URBAN AGENDA

25. TOWARDS A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Access to housing is closely linked to human rights. Finding solutions through policy, planning and financing for the poorest and most vulnerable is crucial.

26. TOWARDS A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Access to housing is closely linked to human rights. Finding solutions through policy, planning and financing for the poorest and most vulnerable is crucial.

27. TOWARDS A HOLISTIC APPROACH
A Holistic approach realizes that adequate housing is much more than 4 walls and a roof-
1 - Security of tenure
2 - Availability of services
3 - Affordability
4 - Habitability
5 - Accessibility
6 - Location
7 - Cultural adequacy
‘Housing at the Centre’ aims to shift the focus from simply building houses to a holistic framework for housing development, orchestrated with urban planning practice and placing people and human rights at the forefront of urban sustainable development.
While the most common problem is the shortage of adequate housing, other important challenges lay in the poor quality and location of the stock usually far from job and livelihood opportunities, lack of accessibility and services, unaffordable costs and insecurity of tenure.
The lack of appropriate planning mechanisms and regulations including the spatial distribution of investments in services and infrastructure often result in more urban inequalities.
Housing segregation, gentrification and unaffordability are often reinforced by lacking or inadequate regulation and planning.
UN-Habitat. Housing at the Centre of the New Urban Agenda

28. Existing housing stock is a capital good.
Example Indonesian kampongs; a parallel housing market maintaining affordable low cost housing
“The housing stock in kampongs has improved over the years because of the investments made by their inhabitants and the constant upgrading provided by the government”
‘Housing at the Centre’ aims to shift the focus from simply building houses to a holistic framework for housing development, orchestrated with urban planning practice and placing people and human rights at the forefront of urban sustainable development.
While the most common problem is the shortage of adequate housing, other important challenges lay in the poor quality and location of the stock usually far from job and livelihood opportunities, lack of accessibility and services, unaffordable costs and insecurity of tenure.
The lack of appropriate planning mechanisms and regulations including the spatial distribution of investments in services and infrastructure often result in more urban inequalities.
Housing segregation, gentrification and unaffordability are often reinforced by lacking or inadequate regulation and planning.
UN-Habitat. Housing at the Centre of the New Urban Agenda

29. Housing at the Centre Guiding Principals:
Housing is inseparable from urbanization.
Housing is a socioeconomic development imperative.
Systemic reforms, strong states and long-term policy and finance are needed to enable access to adequate housing for all.
A simultaneous twin-track approach with curative (slum upgrading) and preventive (new provision) housing policies and programmes should be promoted.
Housing and slum upgrading policies should be accompanied by national strategies.
Human rights principles and standards are of outstanding relevance for urban development to lead to socially sustainable and inclusive cities.
Housing is inseparable from urbanization. Housing policies and strategies at national and local levels should therefore be integrated into urban development policies and orchestrated with economic and social policies.
Housing is a socioeconomic development imperative. Housing is a true support for survival making a substantial and prolonged contribution to socioeconomic development of people and cities. While housing provision is important for improving livelihoods, standards of living and welfare, it also accounts for a significant share of wealth and resources that can be an important source of economic growth, employment generation and a major component of the economic development agenda.
Systemic reforms, strong states and long-term policy and finance are needed to enable access to adequate housing for all. National and local authorities should reassume a leading role in responding to housing needs and affordability constraints especially of the poorest segments of the population, being at the helm of formulating, regulating, implementing and monitoring policies. Finance for housing should be established and increased.
A simultaneous twin-track approach with curative (slum upgrading) and preventive (new provision) housing policies and programmes should be promoted ensuring participatory and coordinated efforts of national and local governments, development finance institutions, the private sector and civil society.
Housing and slum upgrading policies should be accompanied by national strategies with a detailed plan of action, time frame, and provisions for ensuring that resources are available to implement the actions proposed as well as indicators for monitoring and evaluating. These processes need to be guided by the human rights principles of transparency and accountability.
Human rights principles and standards are of outstanding relevance for urban development to lead to socially sustainable and inclusive cities. Targeting the most poor and groups in vulnerable conditions is crucial if the situation is not to deteriorate, and interventions cannot depart from addressing the root causes that prevent their access to adequate housing.
UN-Habitat. Housing at the Centre of the New Urban Agenda

30. Housing at the Centre will to lead to:
A paradigm shift in the thinking and practice of housing development integrated to the national and local urban agendas
Increased awareness and commitment and stronger regulation and intervention in housing market
Strengthened government intervention, beyond enablement towards a leadership role  
A renewed cycle of support and investments from different parties: governments, international development organizations, private sector and civil society
a significant and measurable improvement of housing and living conditions for all
UN-Habitat expects the Housing at the Centre approach to lead to:
A paradigm shift in the thinking and practice of housing development integrated to the national and local urban agendas and as a priority focus area within UN- Habitat’s work.
Increased awareness and commitment of governments and global actors alike to addressing the housing challenge harnessing on opportunities for concomitantly promoting economic and social development, sustainability and inclusion.
Strengthened government engagement and intervention, beyond enablement towards a leadership role in housing responses for all and at the scale needed, and holding accountable obligations towards the realization of the right to adequate housing for all.
A renewed cycle of support and investments from national governments, international development organizations as well as innovative cooperation schemes that can include the private sector and other actors.
And, most importantly, result in a significant and measurable improvement of housing and living conditions for all, especially those living in slums and in vulnerable situations, while facilitating at the same time the role of housing as an important support for the over all development of cities and people.
UN-Habitat. Housing at the Centre of the New Urban Agenda

31. Driving the New Urban Agenda
What is the mandate of UN-Habitat?
UN-Habitat provides services to local and national level governments
ADVISORY SERVICES +
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
CAPACITY BUILDING
KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION
ADVOCACY
AD HOC SUBSTANTIVE ACTIVITIES
Unique for UN-Habitat
What is specifically UN Habitats contribution into the whole debate? What is that UN Habitat is doing?
UN Habitat Housing unit provides advisory and technical expertise to develop housing strategies worldwide.
In addition they do pilot projects and knowledge sharing with many international organizations
But what makes UN Habitat’s mandate different from most other development organizations is its advocacy work directly with government.
Can the UN share examples of advocacy work around housing projects, pilot projects?
What innovative pilot housing mechanisms? Can you give us some examples- provide replicable models
Impact on change in housing policy
UN-Habitat supports Habitat Agenda partners and governments at all levels in undertaking housing sector reforms and formulating legislation and housing strategies that place the realization of the right to adequate housing at the core of housing policies, promoting inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities, as stated in SDG11 and the NUA. UN-Habitat adopts the ‘Housing at the Centre’ approach with guiding principles at the national and local levels, strengthening the role of housing in sustainable urbanization33. Housing at the Centre aims to shift the focus from simply building houses to a holistic and diverse policy framework34 where housing is at the centre of urban policies and urbanization strategies and urban planning, and people and human rights at the forefront of urban sustainable development. The approach is based on the notion that housing is more than a roof over four walls, but the right to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity, which establishes interfaces with other development issues such as land/location, infrastructure and services, finance just to mention a few. It reestablishes the important role played by housing in development, stimulating the economy, reducing poverty and promoting inclusion in cities. Its principles at national and local level aim to guide countries and cities towards the achievement of SDG 11 and the implementation of the NUA.
“Implementing the New Urban Agenda: Promoting Access to Adequate and Sustainable Housing” Theme Paper of the 26th Session of the Governing Council:

32. UN Habitat moving to new urban agenda
Habitat II
2012
2013
2016
Habitat III
CITIES
PEOPLE
POLICY
Towards a new Global Housing Strategy
Principles and Framework
Resolution 24/9
Piloting in selected countries
Housing at the Centre of the New Urban Agenda
Re-establish link housing and planning
Beyond enabling: awareness, commitment and involvement of governments
People-centered planning – ‘place matters’
Review of Global Shelter Strategy
Regional assessments
Global review
Roadmap for GHS