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200 million households. That’s the total number of households in India or four times the households of Japan. It is also the number of households in the developing world that live in slums, according to a recent report by McKinsey Global Institute. Not just run down homes, but places where there is no water, electricity, or protection from the elements. Definitely not decent places to live.
Why is having “...a safe and secure home and community in which to live in peace and dignity” as stated in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights overlooked and forgotten?
Housing does not feature high on either political or economic agendas. The general belief is that a house is an asset. That may be true for those who can afford one. Many others simply can’t own or rent a home even if they are middle class and living in developed countries. What about the 200 million households who aren’t even at that level?
A safe and secure home plays an important role in society: it reduces health risks like tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhea, and others by reducing overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions; it improves educational outcomes by providing a place for children to study and learn; and, according to the UN, housing accounts for almost 20 percent of a country’s gross domestic product, with every job created in the housing sector generating two jobs elsewhere in the economy.
There are three steps to tackling substandard housing.
First, we have and need more innovative housing finance plans to help low income families improve their current living conditions. This has been working – it just needs to be expanded.
Second, better housing policies. This includes secure tenure for homeowners, better regulations about use of existing housing and the construction of new units. It will help improve local and national economies.
And third, employ technology to build energy efficient, high quality homes faster and more cheaply.
We aren’t saying that organizations or governments should simply hand over keys to new flats or houses. We are saying that providing innovative financing programs, like we are doing in many parts of the world, can help people improve their current dwellings as well as build new ones. We are saying that having housing policies that guarantee land rights, tenure protection, and gender rights will have positive societal and economic impact. And, we are saying that by applying technology, we can create communities where people can sustainably develop and prosper.
Housing is a basic human right. Providing it improves health, education and economic outcomes. Making it happen for many including the 200 million households who live in substandard housing is within reach. It’s up to us to ensure everyone has a decent place to live.
