Anacláudia Rossbach: Cooperation is essential to solve housing problems

Solving housing problems requires cooperation between governments, communities, and international partners, Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said during the event under the theme In Search of Best Solutions for Sustainable Housing and Resilient Cities: Voices from Cities held within the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Olaylar informs.

The director highlighted that housing policy is a complex ecosystem encompassing ecological, social, urban planning, and economic components, making partnerships indispensable:

"Without working with communities, local leaders, and local authorities, these issues cannot be solved. Everything happens at the local level. The main source of financing for housing policy is national budgets. Many countries have made bold decisions to increase housing allocations. No country has solved housing problems without mobilizing domestic financial resources."

She added that legislation, policy, and legal mechanisms also play a crucial role in urban housing planning: "UN-Habitat works with member states through the chr("39")open working group on housing,chr("39") focusing on two main outcomes. First, preparing policy recommendations on how countries can address these challenges. Second, shaping a common international approach. When political leaders prioritize housing, they face certain obstacles. Housing policy takes time, and in particular, in the Global South, it is impossible to support everyone at once."

Rossbach added that international knowledge exchange and advocacy platforms are vital to keep housing at the center of development agendas:

"The organization has the capacity to bring together local authorities, academia, community leaders, and civil society. This is crucial for governance, because the main issue is bringing all stakeholders to the same table. Global development and climate finance exist, but a larger share of these funds must be directed to the housing sector. The share of housing in international development aid is very small. We must work to expand it."