PRESS RELEASE: Reall and Cities Alliance, partnering on affordable housing for the urban poor
Brussels and London, 12 September 2019 - Reall, leading innovator and investor in affordable homes is now a new member of the Cities Alliance, the global partnership fighting urban poverty and supporting cities to deliver sustainable development.
Reall will be joining 27 other partners in the Cities Alliance including governments, UN agencies, private sector and NGOs. The multilateral funded platform’s core areas of work include slum upgrading, urban planning, local economic growth, gender equality and migration in developing countries.
“We direct our efforts at creating long lasting impact and dignified living conditions for people in small and medium size cities, which is where the bulk of urban growth is taking place and where the gap between needs and resources is most acute”, said William Cobbett, Director of Cities Alliance. “To have Reall onboard and be able to build on their extensive urban experience is an enormous value for the partnership.”
Reall’s CEO Ian Shapiro added: “We are delighted to partner with Cities Alliance. This is an opportunity to connect and learn from likeminded organisations. We look forward to contributing our growing portfolio of evidence of how a $10K, commercially viable home can prove how urbanisation can work for the poor.”
Reall works by unlocking the conditions needed for hard-working families to secure their own homes; targeting investments to get homes built, advocating for a more favourable policy environment, and making mortgages a possibility for people on low-income. The organisation operates in 15 countries across Africa and Asia.
Reall is currently funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), both active members of Cities Alliance.
Through the Cities Alliance partnership, members and city stakeholders combine resources and expertise to help cities achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, maximise social impact and fight urban poverty. Cities Alliance is a hosted organisation of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
Media contacts:
Reall: Isabel Bowles, +44 24 7509 3340 isabel.bowles@reall.net
Cities Alliance: Yamila Castro +32 2880 4311 ycastro@citiesalliance.org
