Resilient and affordable HOUSING IN THE CARIBBEAN

Inadequate housing is a contributing factor to the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Slums and informal settlements are among the most tangible expressions of inequality and reflect longstanding development gaps, between those who live in the middle- and highincome formal neighborhoods and those living in poor or informal settlements.

Addressing this “urban gap” is crucial for building a more just society and should not be separated from overall sustainable development ambitions.

To address this issue, Caribbean countries have embarked on various housing policies to tackle the negative consequences of unplanned urbanization. These include assistance with housing costs to provide access to affordable housing.

ECLAC Caribbean recently prepared a policy brief on “Resilient and affordable housing in the Caribbean”; this article shares some of the information highlighted in the brief. Here are the key recommendations:

1. Develop and implement national housing policies that integrate stakeholders at the local, national, and regional level;

2. Enable participatory planning to increase implementation capacities;

3. Invest in the existing housing stock;

4. Support research on climate resilient housing;

5. Develop and update construction standards and building codes;

6. Support locally-drive community development that informs national housing policies;

7. Offer training support on resilient and sustainable building techniques;

According to the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, about 33 percent of Caribbean SIDS’ population lived in slum dwellings as of 2018, contributing to the further spatial segregation of the subregion’s poor.

Adequate and affordable housing is a human right and contributes to achieving sustainable development priorities in the Caribbean SIDS (OHCHR/UNHabitat, 2009).

Policy measures to guarantee the right to adequate and affordable housing can include government action at legislative and executive levels, especially regarding budgetary allocations. These policy measures can also include the creation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) that support the inclusion of all stakeholders to activate the production and improvement of shelters.

However, it is essential to note that the right to adequate housing does not translate to the State’s obligation to build housing for the entire population.

8. Consider alternative financing options;

9. Promote insurance mechanisms.

Historically, unplanned urbanization and limited land supply were the fundamental causes of housing unaffordability in Caribbean countries. However, as populations continue to grow and move to cities, by 2030, 40 per cent of the Caribbean population (or approximately five million persons) will become urban dwellers and require adequate housing (UN-DESA, 2018).

Furthermore, the increased inequality and informal settlement expansion have followed unplanned urbanization in many Caribbean countries.