FIABCI Publishes The City We Need is Affordable Vol IV

Feb 07, 2020 Latest News

FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, continues its very successful The City We Need is Affordable series with the publication of Volume IV to coincide with World Urban Forum 10 in Abu Dhabi from February 8-13. Featuring large scale affordable housing developments, solutions for providing dignity and housing for the homeless, and innovative public-private-people partnerships from around the world; the book is the latest result of FIABCI’s growing partnership with the UN-Habitat World Urban Campaign.

Since the first volume published at Habitat III in Ecuador in 2016, the culture and focus of the real estate industry has been changing from one of luxury development and profit to one of more housing of more types in more places for all income levels. “As the world become more diverse, cities struggle to support sustainable, opportunity-rich neighborhoods that are accessible to all.” noted FIABCI World President Walid Mousa. “I am especially pleased to see FIABCI present viable solutions to the affordable housing crisis that are practical, scalable and that can be implement by any city with the will and vision to build a better, more sustainable and inclusive city for future generations.”

Solutions featured in the book include:

Several solutions for co-living, micro-apartments and flexible leasing that make better use of existing land plots and urban density; and focus on building community for all rather than private enclaves for the privileged few.
Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility where major corporations realize their duty to address these issues including Amazon who is including a homeless shelter within its corporate headquarters complex in Seattle; and United Healthcare which is investing in affordable housing across numerous communities in the United States because access to safe and affordable housing is one of the greatest obstacles to better health, and investment in housing lowers overall healthcare costs for the company.
Technical solutions including modular construction, a mobile app for the construction industry that connects people in need of shelter with construction-related suppliers and people looking for work, and a mobile concreate factory that can build an entire house in just a few hours.

“Housing is a human right” is the theme of this volume and will be the focus of two events at WUF 10. On Monday February 10 at 5pm, FIABCI will host an event at the Capital Centre Arjaan Hotel entitled “The City We Need is Innovative, Inclusive and Affordable for All" where refreshments will be served, and an Urban Library Event within WUF 10 on Wednesday February 12 at 5 pm where The City We Need is Affordable Vol IV will have its official launch.