Target 11.1 – Adequate, Safe & Affordable Housing / Slum Upgrading

Everyone is entitled to safe shelter, and it is the cornerstone of health, safety, and comfort. But hundreds of millions across the world still live in inadequate, dangerous, or unaffordable housing. Urbanisation, population growth, and uneven wealth distribution have all helped to fuel an expansion of informal settlements and slums in many of the world’s poorer nations.

Acknowledging this fact, 2015 is said to be the “year of global housing” when inclusive and equitable housing was placed on the international agenda with the inclusion of Target 11.1 in the SDGs by 2030, to ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic downtown services and upgrading slums.

Shelter: It’s not just a roof over your head. This requires a connection to services: clean water, sanitation, electricity, and security of tenure. Slum upgrading is not only about the hardware of infrastructure but also about social, economic, and legal barriers that prevent poor people from living a life of dignity.

Adequate, Safe & Affordable Housing / Slum Upgrading

Good and secure housing that is affordable; this is a key to human welfare and social peace. Without it, families are predisposed to falling ill or falling victim to violence and environmental destruction, and leave generations trapped in poverty. Here in the slums, people are crammed too close together and have none of the access to clean water, sanitation, or electricity that might help slow down a virus. Those people will exacerbate any health issues and be at much higher risk for infection.

There is also an economic aspect of housing affordability. When households put a high proportion of their income into shelter, they have less money to spend on food, education, health care, and savings. Affordable housing increases economic security and provides relief to families’ budgets while driving the local economy.

Slum upgrading is equally important. The slum areas occupy marginal lands, being at risk for flooding, landslides, or other natural disasters, typically. Bettering these elements will make this a better place to live overall, reduce environmental hazards, and build a sense of pride and ownership among residents.

Current State of Housing Globally

More than 1 billion people now live in slums globally, according to UN-Habitat, and that number is only expected to spike with urbanization. In many cities of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, there is an absence of housing, leading to overcrowded informal settlements. Even in rich countries, surging property values have produced crises of affordability for low- and middle-income populations.

The challenges to housing inadequacy include the following:

• Rapid urbanization outpacing infrastructure development
• The sky-high costs of building and the lacklustre availability of funds
• Weakness in land rights and the customary land tenure regime
• No planning and zoning.
• Threats from climate change, including flooding, heatwaves, and storms

Key Elements of an Adequate and Safe House

Structural Safety

• The buildings have to be earthquake and flood-ready.
• Maybe safe building materials with sufficient ventilation and fire safety are important.

Affordability

• No one should pay over 30% of their income for housing.
• Various such policies, such as subsidized housing, rent controls, or Micro-financing, enable low-income households to be part of a home.

Access to Basic Services

• Provisions of safe water, sanitation, electricity, and waste collection are essential components of adequate housing.
• Complete community development that encompasses the education and health services is well supported.

Secure Tenure

• Residents need to have some form of formal recognition for their homes, and that may be a title pass or its equivalent.
• Stable tenure because people, organisations, and communities should be secure in their homes, to stay for a long time or not if they so wish.

Inclusivity and Community Participation

• Governments must involve people in the planning and upgradation of housing and squatter colonies.
• Participation empowers solutions to SAA that are both community-led and community-oriented.

Slum Upgrading Initiatives

Slum upgrading is far more than construction:

• Improvement in Infrastructure: Road, drainage, water supply, and power.
• Shelter Upgrades: Earthquake-resistant construction, latrines, and safer building materials.
• Legal and Social Support: Land tenure and livelihood programmes.
• Community involvement: Ensuring the local people are involved in decision-making about and the implementation of improvements.

Challenges to Achieving Target 11.1

• Funding Constraints

Building houses also involves significant capital investment, something not always feasible in much of the developing world.

• Rapid Urbanization

There is typically a shortage of housing even as the urban population continues to grow, and new migrants have no option but to settle in informal settlements.

• Land Tenure Issues

Many slums have no formal recognition, which means they cannot access credit or invest in better infrastructure.

• Climate Change Risks

Slum dwellers are worried about the rise in sea level, floods, and extreme weather phenomena.

How Adequate and Affordable Housing Serves the Public?

• Improved Health: Reduced exposure to disease and environmental Poisons.
• Economic Security: More money for education, health care, and small businesses is available with affordable housing.
• Social cohesion: The social uplift of communities to engender inclusivity, safety, and pride.
• Environmental: Organizable is planned so as not to deforest or disturb it.

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