New collaborative initiative launches to transform housing justice
The launch of a new online tool, the Hub for Housing Justice, will help to bring civil society and research organisations together to transform housing systems through a justice-focused approach.
A group picture of the event panellists and organisers (Photo: Anabel Bennett López, IIED)
The Hub for Housing Justice debuted on 7 November, 2024 at a vibrant event at the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) in Cairo, Egypt. The event brought together key partners and allies, and was convened by IIED, Habitat International Coalition (HIC), and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
The hub is a collaborative initiative led by civil society and research organisations aiming to advance housing justice by framing agendas, sharing resources, synchronising efforts and promoting learning and action across different contexts. By advocating through a justice lens, the hub will help to transform housing systems through four propositions:
- Anti-discriminatory housing policy and practice
- Radically democratic forms of housing production
- Housing as an infrastructure for more sustainable, caring and fairer cities, and
- Housing policy and practice that broaden imaginations for housing futures.
Despite the clear evidence, research and solutions, housing injustices continue to be driven by political choices – generating housing systems, policies and practices that deepen the experiences of injustice worldwide.
According to UN-Habitat, at least 2.8 billion people globally are experiencing some form of housing inadequacy. To bring this number down, we cannot rely on market-led solutions.
“We all know the direction where we need to go, but something in the opposite direction is happening at a very fast speed,” said Lorena Zarate, co-founder of the Global Platform for the Right to the City.
Following its launch, the hub’s activities in the coming months will focus on co-designing and framing housing justice agendas, curating and sharing resources related to housing justice, synchronising and aligning efforts and voices, and facilitating opportunities for learning, exchanges and action promoted by the hub’s partners.
