Bridging the Affordability Gap: Inclusive Housing Finance in the New Urban Agenda

Housing and housing finance that are accessible and affordable to most are at the core of Habitat III and of sustainable urban development in developed and emerging economies, and in low-income countries. Unplanned urbanization has worsened the world's housing situation, and today many countries face situations of shortages of affordable housing stock despite high demand. In other countries, the issues are more about housing price increases outpacing the rise in personal income. In both instances, governments may be making progress towards addressing these issues and re-defining the objectives of their national housing policies, but most will require access to some form of housing finance as a component of their strategy. This networking session will begin with a presentation on potential options to enhance the affordability and access to housing finance as a means to address the housing needs of moderate to low-income households and persons in vulnerable situations. It will be followed by two panel discussions with prominent housing finance leaders from a range of countries on the development curve, with experts from the public, private and non-profit sectors. They will bring together diverse experience and knowledge of housing financing mechanisms like mortgage financing, contractual savings, loan guarantees, microfinance and community-based savings. These experts will provide their insights and experiences in the financing of housing as well as alternative ways to finance housing policies through approaches like public-private partnerships. The discussion will underscore innovative solutions to expand the reach of housing finance particularly among lower-income households. Ultimately, this networking event will be a unique opportunity to share knowledge and brainstorm on possible approaches to achieve the housing goals in the New Urban Agenda. It will start an international discussion on sustainable approaches to conventional and non-conventional housing finance for moderate and lower-income households, the urban poor and persons in vulnerable situations that will lead to new ideas and positive results.