"We occupy more space but we lack housing," the contradiction that worries UN Habitat

Present at the Mipim international real estate fair in Cannes, Brazilian Anacláudia Rossbach raised awareness among professionals about the challenges of using available land and low-carbon construction.

Question: What are UN Habitat's priorities?

Reply : "In our new strategic plan, we want to focus on access to housing, land, and basic services for all, including the transformation of informal settlements. Why? Because we see a global housing crisis.

Most countries face housing issues, with one common denominator, I think, being affordability.

This crisis is increasingly occurring in European countries and North America, but it has been a structural problem in the South for many years. If we look at house prices and individual wages, in many countries, the gap is simply too wide, and governments lack the fiscal capacity to cover this gap with subsidies or incentives.

Currently, this gap is widening; it is historically high according to recent studies by the International Monetary Fund, also in the countries of the North.

This is a common challenge we face, and there are several aspects to this housing crisis: homelessness, informal settlements, inadequate housing, such as housing that is too small or too expensive, and conflicts and disasters that affect the housing stock. We are currently losing homes!

Q: Are new buildings needed?

A: "We must build, yes. But in a context where buildings are significantly responsible for emissions (of greenhouse gases, editor's note), we must now pay attention to our emissions.

The second challenge is that we cannot build anywhere and anyhow. Urban expansion, whether through gated communities or single-family homes, has generated environmental impacts.

Currently, cities are growing more in terms of territory than in population, and this poses a risk to all of us in terms of climate, social risks, and economic risks. We are therefore experiencing a very contradictory situation where we are occupying more space but we need more housing.

For me, the crucial issue is land, and we must begin to recognize that land, beyond its economic value, also has a social and ecological function. We must integrate this into urban planning, which must be the backbone of a city."

Q: What about cities' awareness of the need to adapt to global warming?

A: "There are several aspects. The important angle to highlight is that of inequality. Who suffers the most? People in precarious situations, households living in precarious homes, in precarious neighborhoods.

In the South, there are slums, informal settlements, and they are the ones who suffer the most, not only from global warming but also from climate events, floods, disasters like landslides, and so on. They pay the highest price, and we really need to prioritize this population, which suffers much more than others, disproportionately. This aspect of climate justice is important.

But global warming affects us all, and cities have a role to play in terms of public spaces, building insulation, and creating more green spaces. I believe that cities, mayors, and urban planners are becoming increasingly aware of this; I see a positive trend and examples of success.

There are still systemic changes to be made. UN Habitat is strongly committed to ensuring that we create this enabling environment, that we support cities and national governments to put the right regulations in place."