Affordable Urban Housing for Achieving the SDGs

A new UNU-IAS policy brief calls attention to the profound impact of affordable housing on the attainment of the SDGs. The brief, Harnessing Adequate, Safe, and Affordable Housing for the Urban Poor to Achieve the SDGs in Cities, examines the direct and indirect linkages between adequate, safe, and affordable housing (SDG 11) and other SDGs. The authors draw on recent literature and best practices in Asia and the Pacific to offer recommendations on strengthening these interlinkages in efforts to meet the Global Goals. The brief was written by Mahesti Okitasari, Ranjeeta Mishra, Hiromi Masuda, and Masachika Suzuki, and is an output of the UNU-IAS Governance for Sustainable Development project.

Highlights

The issue of housing links multiple SDGs. For the urban poor, adequate, safe, and affordable housing is a prerequisite for economic prosperity and social inclusion. Well-defined and action-oriented delivery of affordable housing is needed to achieve SDG 11 (sustainable cities & communities) and other SDGs addressing access to basic services, economic growth, sustainable production and consumption, inequalities, and climate change.

Recommendations:

• Prioritise integrated slum redevelopment for better economic opportunities through inclusive and cost-sensitive approaches.
• Promote integrated, inclusive, and accessible green space to enhance liveability through a city-wide approach.
• Apply regenerative design and integrate housing with clean public transport to improve energy efficiency and deliver net-zero carbon housing.
• Adopt community-designed, water-sensitive infrastructure, including local sanitation systems, wetlands and biofiltration gardens, and stormwater harvesting.