Policies and systems to ensure equitable access to housing in informal settlements in the Global South
Informality persists as the most visible manifestation of inequity. And yet, informal settlements are also spaces of the “social production of habitat” and exemplify people-led development of housing and home, considering complex power dynamics and exclusion from formal decision-making systems. Governments can counteract the compounding stresses adding to the global housing deficit by ensuring equitable […]
Cooperation between Europe and Africa towards housing
How can we foster strong partnerships between Europe and Africa regarding housing? The aim should be to mitigate informality and foster innovation as well as sustainable growth. Where is the best place to start? What plans are in progress? Here’s what’s happened to date and where there are further opportunities to investigate. The five pillars […]
Policy dilemmas concerning informal Roma settlements: regeneration or desegregation?
Despite a consensus on a need to tackle the problem of inadequate housing conditions of many Roma, to improve Roma’s access to affordable housing and to actively involve Roma into the design and implementation of policies aimed at Roma equality and inclusion, there is an ongoing tension between two objectives and approaches. On one hand, […]
Informal settlement upgrading post-COVID-19: Moving from upgrading to revitalization and sustainability
In the face of a global scenario where more than one billion people live in informal settlements (slums), actions related to slum upgrading are crucial to improving living conditions in these areas, ranging from approaches to deliver better infrastructure to activities that can enhance social, economic and institutional aspects of these communities. This session proposes […]
Access to housing in the face of a pandemic & the global impact of COVID-19
The quest for affordable and adequate housing for all in the middle of global pandemic disruptions and associated widespread prosperity losses has never been so important as it is now. The timing of the Europe Housing Forum is perfect. Building foundations for the future of affordable housing is a key theme that everyone around the […]