Global Peer Learning Series - Event 5: How to Provide Finance for the 'Unbankable?'

The Global Peer Learning Series Urban Innovation for Just and Sustainable Cities hosts its fifth and last event on how to provide finance for the 'unbankable'?

Housing is recognized by Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an essential right. Yet, an estimated 2.8 billion people today live in inadequate housing conditions, without access to basic services, and struggling to afford housing costs. 

The housing crisis will only be exacerbated with an additional 2.5 billion people estimated to be living in African and Asian cities by 2050. 

Thus, realizing improved access to adequate and affordable housing is central to just and sustainable development. 

However, formal housing delivery systems are failing to meet this ever-growing demand. Formal markets usually do not cater for low-income communities and policy interventions for increased affordability often fall short of their objectives. With access to housing-related finance also extremely limited for low-income households in the Global South, these often need to rely on informal and incremental approaches, with their own savings and their own labour. 

What is needed to improve access to affordable housing and housing finance at scale?

Following previous discussions in this series about the different aspects of housing provision for the urban poor, such as sustainable construction and gender-sensitive urban planning, the closing session of the series will discuss effective mechanisms to improve access to finance 'unbankable' communities that do not qualify for commercial loans. 

The discussion will showcase good practices on adequate, safe, and affordable housing provision and access to finance from the Global South. It will also explore barriers and opportunities for making housing-related finance accessible to low-income households, and possible interventions along the housing supply chain to improve access to affordable housing at scale. 

Keynote: Illana Melzer, Engagement Manager, 71point4

Moderation: Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, City Diplomacy Lab

Speakers:

• Kecia Rust, Executive Director, Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF)
• Joy Wachira, Programme Lead Green Affordable Housing, REALL
• Girlie Lopez, Philippines Country Programme Manager, Build Change

Watch the session recording on YouTube

The webinar is part of a peer learning series hosted by GIZ - on behalf of BMZ - and Cities Alliance, to strengthen local actors in their ability to act for socially just and climate-friendly urban transformation. The series created a roadmap towards the World Urban Forum in November 2024 and discussed how subnational governments can be engaged more closely in the implementation of global development and climate agendas.