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Some ways to reinvent affordable housing in a post-pandemic world

Jan 20, 2022 

    When more than 90 countries issued stay-at-home orders during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 7 billion people across the globe sheltered in slums and informal settlements. Yet, these necessary public health measures offered scant defense against this potentially deadly virus if housing conditions were unsafe. The urgency of the pandemic response spotlighted an inescapable truth: the chronic lack of safe and affordable housing in both advanced economies and developing nations is one of the biggest drivers of health and wealth disparities in our world.

     As we grapple with how to adapt to ongoing waves of the virus and move toward rebuilding healthier, more equitable societies, we must expand the global supply of affordable housing by focusing on innovations that champion public health, sustainability, and scalability. These three inextricably linked pillars can drive a new global housing framework that creates more equitable access to affordable housing and, as a result, improves health outcomes, fortifies disaster resilience, and mitigates environmental impact.

Strategies and mindsets to reinvent affordable housing

1. Home as a health solution 

    The connections between health and home have long been recognized by the medical community. Poor housing conditions have been linked to debilitating illnesses, from respiratory conditions to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, and diarrhea — which is among the leading causes of childhood death worldwide. In many cases, simple upgrades to a home's roof, windows, and floor can have a transformational impact on the health of a family and its surrounding community. A 2007 World Bank study found that replacing a home's dirt floors with concrete can lead to “a 78 percent reduction in parasitic infestations, a 49 percent reduction in diarrhea, an 81 percent reduction in anemia, and a 36 to 96 percent improvement in cognitive development."

     But even these small upgrades remain out of reach for many families. In emerging markets, it is common for households to build shelter incrementally as finances allow — a process that can take up to 30 years. The work starts and stops as resources become available, often resulting in increased construction costs and inconsistent quality of materials over time.

    Housing entrepreneurs are working to bring affordable, scalable solutions to families that can mitigate preventable, life-threatening health concerns and truly reinvent affordable housing. In Rwanda, upgrading to a concrete floor can cost more than two months' wages for the average family. Nonprofit startup EarthEnable is working with African governments to support housing policy and is using local materials and labor to provide an earthen floor alternative that delivers the same benefits as concrete at a quarter of the price.

    As families strive to upgrade their homes, they need access — both physical and economic — to building products that will keep them safer.

2. Investing in sustainable methods that work 

    In addition to addressing the connections between housing and health, trailblazers like EarthEnable are proving that affordable solutions can also be green solutions. By sourcing materials locally, they are streamlining supply chains, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating employment opportunities within the community.

   With the construction sector consuming over 3 billion tons of raw materials each year — more than any other industry — we need to be more intentional about leveraging sustainable and recycled supplies. Once again, startups are leading the way, applying low-cost modernizations to everything from lighting fixtures to pavers that are five to seven times more durable than concrete. In India, ReMaterials recycles packaging and agricultural waste into modular roof panels for families living in slums. These roofs have been shown to reduce a home's indoor air temperature by 10 degrees Celsius, improving quality of life and decreasing the risk of heatstroke.

    Governments and housing nonprofits have a critical role to play in ensuring that startups developing these green, affordable housing innovations can scale their products and reach the vulnerable communities most in need.

3. Scaling to reach 1 billion homes 

    The need to create more adequate housing opportunities around the world continues to grow exponentially, as over 3 million people move to cities every week. Therefore, we must also sustainably and rapidly scale up new construction.

    Entrepreneurs around the world are rethinking housing construction from the ground up to produce more efficient solutions.

   Increasing the affordable housing supply also requires us to think differently about how we use and prioritize space. By emphasizing spatial needs and constraints in planning new developments, we can improve quality of life by enabling people to live closer to where they work, while reducing traffic and environmental impact. Furthermore, data shows that mixed-income neighborhoods produce better long-term health outcomes and economic mobility for individuals and families.

    Governments, corporations, and civil society have important roles to play in advancing disruptive solutions to the chronic shortage of safe, affordable housing around the globe. By supporting innovators with the capacity to expand quickly and effectively, together we can embrace a new global housing framework centered on sustainable and scalable shelter solutions. Only through collaboration can we reinvent affordable housing.. 

(Adapted from https:/www.weforum.org/stories/2022/01/reinvent-affordable-housing-post-covid19-aworld-habitat-for-humanity/)