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The first-ever Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, Housing Forum started today in Cairo, under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Housing. Over the next three days, stakeholders will discuss ongoing housing challenges, including the persistence of informal settlements, the rise in refugee numbers, the increase of vulnerability in the wake of COVID-19, and the region’s role in climate action following the COP27 climate change conference. With 10 in-person and five virtual sessions scheduled, the hybrid forum is expected to attract over 500 participants.

Housing for All Egyptians, by Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund from Egypt (Public Policies category), The Housing Monitor by Public Works Studio from Lebanon (Best Practices category) and Recyblock by Zelij Invent from Morocco (ShelterTech category), are the winners of the MENA Housing Forum Innovations Awards 2022.

Every $1 million in construction output creates an average of 97 jobs in emerging markets, economists at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Washington found in the report commissioned by Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter.

The Europe Housing Forum 2021 takes place online on November 16-19, 2021. The importance of housing as a driver of economic growth and sustainability in human settlements will be one of the central discussions during the Forum. The Europe Housing Forum aims to bring together different stakeholders to discuss solutions to complex housing problems in the region. Sessions take place in the afternoons.

In the modest embrace of their Holboca commune apartment, the Cretu family finds joy in the simple things: the children’s daily tales from school, shared meals, and laughter. Andreea, a nurse, and Marius, a construction worker, have built a life that honors commitment and love.

In 2012, Mustafa’s typical day as a cab driver in Syria took an abrupt turn. During a routine exchange with a passenger about the ongoing war, he made a passing jest about a statue of the Syrian president. This offhand remark led to his arrest and brutal imprisonment two days later. 

Climate change poses a significant threat to housing security, particularly for low-income communities. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires, are becoming more frequent and severe. Furthermore, sea level rise poses an increasing threat to families and their homes in low-lying coastal regions.

Pre-existing gender and identity inequalities are being compounded by the Ukraine war – affecting the risks and impacts of the war, the patterns of displacement, and access to humanitarian aid. Vulnerabilities due to longstanding gender inequality intersect with several other aspects of identity diversity within Ukraine, that have traditionally resulted in discrimination and inequities. Read more about the challenges in the Ukraine Rapid Gender Analysis.

More than 1 billion people around the world live in slums and other informal settlements, and that figure continues to rise. Informal settlements have very limited access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation and electricity. The poor living conditions are a physical manifestation of inequities holding back far too many families and communities.

Residential energy efficiency is driven by the need to address energy poverty, which affects over 40 million people across the EU, particularly the elderly and low-income households, and remains a significant barrier to achieving a more sustainable future for all.