Sustainable and Affordable Housing: A Global Solution Across Five Regions

Sustnable and Affordable Housing Report

Introduction

Approximately eighty percent of the world's cities lack affordable housing options for their majority populations European Parliament, 2020. The global demand for two billion homes over the next 75 years signifies that roughly 96,000 new affordable homes must be constructed every day WEF, 2018.

The ongoing global housing crisis is interconnected with pressing concerns of unprecedented climate change and biodiversity loss. As a result, urgent action in the building and construction sector becomes necessary to address these intertwined crises effectively. The 'Sustnable and Affordable Housing' report challenges conventional wisdom that sustnable housing might not be affordable for mass markets.

This publication champions a unified vision promoting sustnable and accessible housing across global contexts by spotlighting innovative case studies from five regions: Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East North Africa.

The analysis of these best practices is guided by five key principles derived through collaborative efforts with an international Taskforce comprising Green Building Councils and affordable housing experts:

1. Habitability and Comfort: Ensuring that homes are comfortable and provide a conducive environment for dly life.

2. Community and Connectivity: Creating spaces that foster social interactions, community cohesion, and seamless access to urban services.

3. Resilience and Adaptation: Designing buildings capable of withstanding climate change impacts and facilitating adaptation strategies.

4. Economic Accessibility: Making housing affordable by balancing costs with the financial capability of residents.

5. Resource Efficiency and Circularity: Implementing sustnable practices that minimize waste, conserve resources, and promote circular economies.

The Regional Snapshots

This report showcases diverse examples from around the world that demonstrate how these principles can lead to successful outcomes in affordable and sustnable housing:

• Africa: Highlighting innovative solutions like Kenya's 3D-printed homes and community engagementin Nepal.

• Americas: Illustrating strategies for disaster-resilient retrofits in the Philippines, among other examples.

• Asia Pacific: Presenting inclusive design approaches and affordable housing innovations across various countries.

• Europe: Revealing integrated sustnability measures with economic viability in European contexts.

• Middle East North Africa: Detling adaptive reuse projects that preserve heritage while promoting sustnable living.

Partnerships

This initiative is driven by the World Green Building Council, which collaborates with diverse stakeholders to advance:

1. Advancing Net Zero

2. Better Places for People

3. Circularity Accelerator

4. Global Advocacy

5. Sustnable Finance

We are committed to building a more sustnable and equitable world through collective action.

References

European Parliament, 'Access to decent and affordable housing for all' 2020

WEF, 'The world needs to build 2 billion new homes over the next 80 years' 2018

World Green Building Council

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World Green Building Council ? 2023
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