No Time to Waste: Housing Policy and Advancing the New Urban Agenda

Housing is at the center of the New Urban Agenda. Yet we know that housing need and demand are far from being met. This session draws on recent evidence drawn from practice and policy in Latin America to examine the role of policy and what can be done to radically increase the delivery of affordable, decent housing. The research was commissioned by IHC Global to distill the key lessons that can be learned from Latin America's period of rapid urbanization, examining how housing policy advanced and/or hindered the development of livable, inclusive cities, with an eye to informing policy decisions at local and national levels and, through those, to address the global housing challenge under the New Urban Agenda. Presenting lessons that can be derived from the deep history of Latin American, a highly urbanized region that has faced many challenges housing delivery especially during the period in which it was undergoing rapid urbanization, the immediate research aim is to support policy-makers, policy influencers, and practitioners. The session consists of a presentation of the evidence resulting from the research – two key lessons and eight core principles – for effective housing policy, particularly during rapid urban growth; commentary on the evidence; and interaction with those attending. Emphasis is on practical application and so helping to ensure that housing can and will play the integrating and cohering urban development role envisioned in the New Urban Agenda