Global push to redefine housing for appropriate policy intervention

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development CS Alice Wahome, Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga, Eswatini Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala and Devolution PS Michael Lenasalon during a side event organised by Kenya and UN-Habitat at the World Urban Forum held in Baku, Azerbaijan. [Graham Kajilwa, Standard]

Whenever there are discussions on housing, the connotation is usually four walls and a roof over the head. But what exactly is housing? What does it mean to provide housing for someone?

These are some of the critical questions that came out of the just-concluded World Urban Forum (WUF) held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The definition of housing seems to vary: from one institution to another, and from one individual to the next. Some view housing as an investment, and another lot sees the same as shelter.

Some see housing as a community and others as a financial safeguard.

These different variations of definition, said the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Jonathan Reckford, are what impede the flow of finances from governments and development partners to the sector.

This is despite there being evidence that investment in housing would relieve pressure from governments spending more on other social areas, such as education and health.

For example, a good, clean environment means fewer cases of infectious diseases such as water-borne illnesses, which would ease pressure on hospitals. Or the ability of women to be able to own homes would reduce possible cases of gender-based violence.

One major understanding that stood out in the UN-Habitat-led forum is that housing is a human right.

And this right must be upheld by governments, not only because they are mandated to do so by the constitution, but also due to the benefits accrued when investments in housing are made.

“Housing is much more than shelter. It is the foundational infrastructure that drives outcomes in health, education, economic opportunity, climate resilience and dignity,” he said during the forum.

But despite this knowledge, he notes that housing remains under-prioritised in global development and the climate agenda. He pointed out that less than one per cent of overseas development assistance is directed towards housing.

“Despite its prominence in national agendas, there is still significant ambiguity about what housing means in development settings. I think that has contributed to housing being such a low priority in development assistance,” he said.

Reckford said housing should not be viewed as a consumption or social expenditure but an investment that generates long-term measurable returns in health, education, gender equality, climate adaptation and productivity.

“What we have seen is that budgets do not usually work that way. By showing data, governments can actually invest less in education and health if families have stable and adequate housing. But it is hard to capture those savings,” he said. “

“This is particularly important for low-income and informal urban centres where financing mechanisms often fail to reach people mostly in need.”

Baku’s call to action from the 13th session of the WUF speaks of making housing more affordable. It notes that housing is too often located in isolation from infrastructure, essential services and economic opportunities, with urban sprawl, spatial segregation and poorly coordinated land-use planning pushing low-income households into peripheral and exclusionary areas.

These areas are far from jobs, services and opportunities.

“We call for an integrated and participatory spatial planning approach, with a gender lens, that connects housing with transport, services, livelihoods, and natural and cultural heritage, while promoting mixed, inclusive and well-serviced intergenerational neighbourhoods,” the Baku Call to Action reads in part.

Jonathan Oriki of the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board, while presenting the Call to Action at the closing of the session, said youth have defined housing as the beginning of dignity, safety and belonging.

“That housing should be connected to education, health, safety and opportunity for young people,” he said.

Anar Valiyev, Associate Professor at the Diplomatic Academy of Azerbaijan, who presented the Call to Action alongside Oriki, said the main message is that the global housing crisis has reached its tipping point.

He said the crisis is not accidental, but a result of deep structural, systemic and governance failure, adding that housing must be recognised as a human right.

“A home is not just a structure with four walls. It is a place of dignity, culture and identity – an anchor to secure a shared future. It is an interconnected system to other public amenities and services such as public spaces, schools, health and facilities,” he said.

President Ruto, who spoke at the event, said considering some three billion people are in need of housing, Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been breached.

He noted that in Kenya, there are 1,100 informal settlements that house seven million people. Cognisant that housing is a human right, he elaborated on how his administration is working to ensure homes are made available to these communities, citing the provision of public land for construction and the implementation of the 1.5 per cent housing levy.

This has resulted in 8,000 units being handed to their owners, with the number expected to hit 50,000 by the end of the year.

“I can say with confidence that today in Kenya, we have the largest housing programme in Africa,” he said, referencing the 700,000 units at different stages.