UN AGENCY LAUNCHES SCHEME IN IRAQ TO IMPROVE BASIC SERVICES, HOUSING

A $70 million urban development plan aimed at bolstering the delivery of basic services and provision of housing for Iraq's poor and most vulnerable was jointly launched today by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and the country's Government.

The project, of which $49 million remains unfunded, focuses on providing Government ministries and local authorities with technical assistance and capacity-building support in the areas of urban governance, housing, infrastructure and basic services.

"This is a historical moment in marking the partnership between the Government of Iraq and UN-HABITAT," said Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, in a televised address, reminding the international community of its obligation to help Iraq meet the social and economic targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Naeema al-Gasseer, acting UN Resident Coordinator in Iraq, said that the UN is "increasingly engaged in ensuring a high level of consultation and concrete action with the Government of Iraq to rebuild housing throughout the country and further develop Iraq's urban planning infrastructure with an emphasis on overcoming climate change challenges."

"Hand in hand with Iraq, the UN's goal will be to continue improving the lives of ordinary Iraqis," Ms. Al-Gasseer added.

The launch of the UN-HABITAT Iraq Country Programme for 2009-2011, in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation, was attended by several senior representatives of Iraqi ministries, representatives of the international community in Baghdad, including UN agencies and donors.
________________

SOUTH AFRICAN RIOTS OVER HOUSING AND SERVICES SPARK CONCERN FROM UN AGENCY

The United Nations agency tasked with promoting adequate shelter for all has voiced alarm at the riots over housing and basic services that have engulfed many South African townships over the past week.

Demonstrators protesting over the state of their housing, water, electricity and sanitation services have clashed with police in townships across the country, with dozens of people arrested and large amounts of property looted or destroyed.

Daniel Blau, the Director of the Regional and Technical Cooperation Division of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), said on Friday that while food riots were not uncommon in Africa, it was unusual to have such protests for better housing and services.

"While the Government of South Africa has provided important subsidies for social housing in recent years, the global crisis affects directly the urban poor in this country," he said.

"That crisis was ignited by the mismanagement of the United States housing finance sector. It has now an impact on the housing conditions of the African poor. Housing is increasingly at the core of economic and social development."
________________

MARKETS ALONE CANNOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR ALL, SAYS UN EXPERT

MARKETS ALONE CANNOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR ALL, SAYS UN EXPERT
New York, Mar 9 2009 9:00PM

The over-reliance on private home ownership that contributed to the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the subsequent global financial meltdown highlights the need to view housing through the lens of human rights and not just as a commodity, the United Nations independent expert on adequate housing said today.

"While political discussions are ongoing, I believe it is important to consider the linkage of the crisis with human rights, especially to look at the causes of the crisis and avoid repeating the same mistakes in any new national and global agenda," said Special Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik, who presented a report to the Human Rights Council on the financial crisis, its causes and its relation to the right to adequate housing.

"One of the fundamental errors has been to consider housing only as a commodity and an investment asset," she told the 47-member body in Geneva, underscoring that that the provision of adequate housing for all can not be left solely in the hands of private housing and financial capital markets.

As private loans and mortgages were the only option open to most people who needed a place to live, Ms. Rolnik noted that "credits were attributed by the private sector to households that – in normal circumstances – would not be eligible for loans."

As a result, not only did private companies' risk increase, but also "low-income households were made even more vulnerable to economic and financial changes," she added.

In her report, the expert also argued that the reduction in the amount of public housing made available by the State had a significant impact on people in need of affordable accommodation, especially those that could not afford market prices and mortgages.

She noted that rapid increases in the price of housing led to excessive borrowing and the ensuing expansion of the financial system.

"The 'biggest bubble in history' was foreseen, but little or nothing was done by Governments to prevent it," Ms. Rolnik, an architect and urban planner with extensive experience in the area of housing and urban policies, said in a press release.

Since the so-called bubble has burst, the financial crisis has resulted in housing becoming even less affordable for many people around the world, she noted.

"It is a blunt reminder that it is not just the poor, but also low- and increasingly middle-income groups, who find it difficult to raise enough money to buy or rent adequate housing," said Ms. Rolnik.

"I believe that the current crisis represents an opportunity for reflection, and to consider how to improve housing systems, policies and programmes so as to ensure adequate housing to all."
________________