Clip from the BBC World Debate ‘Housing the Future’
Sprawling slums. Panic on the trading floor.
They seem a world away. But in fact both have been caused by a continuing failure to provide adequate and affordable housing.
The recent worldwide credit crisis was triggered by the collapse of the high-risk mortgage market in the US – the fallout from badly secured home loans. In the West the shockwaves went deep: property prices crashed, jobs were lost and homes repossessed.
In the developing world people are still moving to the cities in large numbers. When they can’t find accommodation they simply improvise their own shelter. The result is slums. One billion people currently live in slums and a staggering
25 million people a year are set to join them.
In a BBC World Debate, supported by UN-Habitat, Lyse Doucet explores the subject with a panel of experts from around the world.
The panel: Somsook Boonyabancha – Secretary General, Asian Coalition for Housing Rights Gary R Garrabrant – CEO Equity International, private sector housing developer Raquel Rolnik – Professor of Urban Planning, São Paulo, Brazil David A Smith – Founder, Affordable Housing Institute Anna Tibaijuka – Executive Director, UN-Habitat
