“Housing is the intersection point of many systems," UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach said during a panel discussion held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, APA reports.
According to her, it is not correct to approach housing policy only from a social dimension, because important factors such as ecology, urban planning and land management also play a role here:
“Housing is located at the intersection of many different systems. Housing can be viewed from a social perspective, but there is also an environmental dimension here. Attention should be paid to where and how construction is carried out.”
The speaker emphasized that urban planning and the proper functioning of urban systems are also an integral part of housing policy: “It is important how urban plans and systems work for housing. For example, the land issue is of critical importance.”
During her speech, Rossbach noted that strong political will and leadership are among the main conditions for the successful resolution of such large-scale and complex issues: “We need leadership at the highest level. If this does not exist, it is impossible to achieve the goals.”
The speaker also drew attention to historical experiences, stating that housing policy has been one of the main starting points in the process of lifting societies out of poverty and recovering from wars and crises: “If we look at history, we see that during periods when large population groups were lifted out of poverty, or when recovery was carried out after major conflicts and crises, housing was the main entry point.”
She particularly recalled the example of post-war Europe and emphasized that housing policy played an important role in restoring social and economic stability.
