Adequate Housing for All: Strategies, Commitments and Innovations for Sustainable Housing Systems

Cities Alliance co-organizes an event on affordable, adequate and sustainable Housing at the upcoming Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris on 7-8 March 2024. 

Housing stands as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of sustainable development. Currently, 2.8 billion people endure various forms of housing inadequacy, spanning from homelessness to substandard and unsafe dwellings, alongside unaffordable homes. The COVID-19 pandemic has eroded much of the limited progress toward sustainable development.

UN-Habitat forecasts that by 2030, 3 billion people—40 per cent of the world’s population—will live in inadequate housing, affecting their health, well-being, and dignity. With the building stock set to double by 2050, how housing is designed, located, built, and operated shapes urban and economic growth, influencing the lives of both present and future generations.

This event will spotlight the dual challenge of ensuring fair and inclusive retrofit, renovation, and decarbonization waves for existing housing while fostering sustainable, affordable, and resilient constructions, especially for urban poor and marginalized communities. Organized in two sessions, it will bring together experts and practitioners from different regions and sectors to deepen discussions around what is needed to promote adequate, affordable and sustainable housing, especially focusing on: 

1. Long-term strategies and inclusive governance frameworks
2. Fair and inclusive financing of sustainable and affordable housing solutions and decarbonisation initiatives
3. Social and technical innovation centred around people in housing design, construction and renovation to ensure affordability and climate-neutrality.

Participants will contribute solutions, share experiences, and offer recommendations for international collaboration to achieve near-zero emissions and resilient buildings by 2030. The workshop aims to inspire commitment to transformative change in housing globally within the framework of the United Nations Habitat Assembly Resolution on Adequate Housing for All.

Session 1: Sustainable, affordable and resilient housing for all, in regions experiencing rapid growth

Speakers: 

• Dr Greg Munro, Director, Cities Alliance
• Roland Pearson, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter
• Hon. Nasra Nanda, Chair, Africa Regional Network, CEO, Kenya Green Building Society
• Noll Tufani, Middle East & Africa Program Director, Build Change

Moderator: Naa Ayeleysa Quaynor Mettle, Climate & Green Buildings Lead, Reall

Session 2: ​​​Ensuring fair and inclusive decarbonization of existing housing in mature housing systems 

• Bent Mansen, President, Housing Europe 
• Grzegor Gajda, Urban Specialist, European Investment Bank 
• Cécile Belard du Plantys, General Director, Paris Habitat (tbc)
• Representative from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Soo-Jin Kim, Deputy Head of the Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development Division. OECD

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