Habitat for Humanity forum set for September
Habitat for Humanity is hosting the seventh Asia-Pacific Housing Forum from September 16-19 at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, bringing together industry leaders, innovators and disruptors in the affordable-housing sector.
Against the theme “Powering collaboration for housing impact”, participants will be engaged in finding solutions for inadequate-shelter issues and underscoring the role of affordable housing as a driver of economic growth.
A 2017 Unescap report put the urban population of the Asia-Pacific region at 2.1 billion, constituting 60 percent of the global urban population.
Rapid urbanisation, population growth and limited resources have placed enormous pressure on governments to provide adequate housing.
In Thailand, as of 2014, over 80 per cent of the 7.1 million poor lived in rural areas. An additional 6.7 million were living within 20 per cent of the poverty line and remained vulnerable to falling into poverty.
Habitat Thailand has collaborated with 11,500 families or over 46,000 people to build, repair and rehabilitate their homes and has implemented community-development programmes for livelihood- and home-based business.
The Bangkok forum will build collaboration among organisations with the capacity to improve the low-cost housing sector. It will promote leaders and players with innovative and high-impact housing initiatives through the sharing of best practices.
More than sessions will be conducted on impact investing, inclusion and sustainability in urban development, resilient cities and communities, and responsive housing technologies.
The event is expected to draw 400 delegates who will participate in a youth congress, training courses and innovation awards.