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This Housing Laboratory will be carried out, within the framework of collaboration between Cities Alliance and Fondazione AVSI, in co-organization with Fundación Avina, UN-Habitat, GIZ Mexico and FM4.

The main goal is to identify alliances that allow Mexican municipalities to expand technical capacities for the inclusion of migrants, through the exchange of knowledge and best practices, the coordinated exchange of knowledge and actions that can lead to technical assistance. This LAV will focus its attention on people in vulnerable situations, considering both foreign and Mexican migrants, in process of transit, reception, return and forced displacement.

Key questions:

1. Who are the key actors and alliances on urban development to be an effective response in the integration of migrants, specifically in the context of precarious settlements affected by the pandemic?
   
   
2. What should be the role of international cooperation and the federal government to achieve the care of people in human mobility in the context of Covid-19 in Mexico?
   
   
3. What should be the role of civil society?

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@AVSIMexico - @ONU-Habitat México - @FM4 Paso Libre

Wednesday, August 26th | 11h00 - 13h00 Mexico

UHPH Activities

Working Paper

LAV Slums and social housing: impacts of COVID 19 and response Civil Society Organizations and Social Grassroots Organizations

One of the products of the LAV conducted on June 18th 2020, in collaboration with the HIC-Latin America and CLACSO channels is the publication of the following research paper prepared by Catalina Ortiz (PhD, University College London) and Maria Mercedes Di Virgilio (PhD, Universidad de BuenosAires).

#LavAsentamientosCOVID19

#SociedadCivilCovid19

#ODS11

#HLPF2020

For mor details on the paper (spannish version) click here

UHPH Data

Press Release

Working together for urban development in the SICA region

You can find more information here

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UHPH recommendations

FUPROVI PRESENTS

National Report n the Status of Housing and Urban Development 2019

Costa Rica

The report is an overview of the main economic indicator related to the housing sector, a review and analysis of data related to housing deficit, home ownership, family housing grants and other issues studied from a gender-based perspective. Social interest projects as an alternative for low income sectors, benefits, issues, challenges and lessons learned from experiences. Sustainable housing, a conceptual approach and a comparative analysis of two different experiences. Finally, a methodological proposal for monitoring public spaces.

Save the date: Wednesday august 19th 2020- 9:00 am to 10:30

Register for the virtual presentation here

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Second Web based Iberoamerican Diploma

Participatory sustainable design of habitat as a tool for the development and management of social habitat and for exercising rights

The Diploma has the purpose of providing participants concepts, methodologies, methods and instruments to engage multidimensional and multi-scale design, habitat production and management solutions as well as rights forwarding proposals which cannot be resolved in an effective and efficient fashion with traditional methodologies for urban design. There are 60 guest professors from six different countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Spain and Mexico) taking part as well as member from HIC-AL, ULACAV, SELVIPH and ELAC networks.

Duration: From august 12th to December 7 2020.

More information here

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COVID 19 reveals the harsh realities of inequality and gender disparity of slums

Even when the epicenter of the worldwide sanitary crisis continues to be in Europe and North America, its impact on developing nations cannot be more devastating, especially for the poorest members of society. The billion people who live in slums and environments similar to slums in developing nations where population density is high are the most exposed and least prepared to face the crisis. Inhabitants of slums face challenges to comply with sanitary measures because their overpopulated homes regularly lack basic services such as water and sanitation. For women and girls who live in slums challenges are even steeper because they face heightened domestic violence and non-payed domestic labor demands.

To read full note click here

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HURBANITY

We can live together

HURBANITY proposes an original concept based on flexibility. This allows adaptation to different political and sociocultural backgrounds of each construction site, all the while preserving the Hurbanity vision: acting on behalf of social diversity and generating new life opportunities for each of the inhabitants of the project. “We can live together” (“Podemos vivir juntos”) project which is a video report on the Colombian context. In 2016 the Colombian government and the FARC armed group signed a historical peace agreement. This political act signaled the end of a 53 year-long nationwide guerilla warfare. Today former combatants are Colombian citizens who return to share a life with the rest of society. Hurbanity promotes improving life together through housing projects developed around the axis of social diversity and inclusion with the purpose of disarming social stereotypes.

Find teaser here

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Statistical information about slums in Mexico will be developed

On June 17th the Mexican Supreme Court delivered a historic ruling in which it orders the National Statistical and Geographical Information Institute (INEGI by its acronym in Spanish) to develop disaggregated statistical data about the population living in sums or precarious neighborhoods throughout the nation. The Supreme Court’s decision has its origin in an amparo lawsuit (rights-based constitutional litigation) filed by the organization TECHO Mexico against INEGI. Currently it is unknown how many slums and informal settlements exist in Mexico, where the are located, how many people inhabit them and what are their conditions. For years TECHO Mexico has warned that this lack of information prevented the design of public policy and urbanistic interventions to ensure adequate housing to this sector of the population as well as the possibility of a public review regarding the results of interventions carried out by the government.

To read the full article click here

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Housing, Communities + Hope

Join Us!

For the last 40 years Habitat for Humanity has been focused on building and improving the homes of vulnerable people. Because of economic hardship because of COVID 19 many homes do not have access to a healthy life, and it is because of that that we summon you to join this cause. Almost 100 million persons in our region live in housing without the necessary conditions to take care of themselves during the pandemic. Conditions such as lack of water at home, lack of a sink to wash hands, with up to six people sleeping in a single bedroom, with water leaks and lack access to soap, disinfectant or chlorine make conditions hard.

How can it be expected that these persons practice social distancing and keep a strict hygiene by staying at home?

#SoyHábitat

Support the campaign #Viviendas, #Comunidades + #Esperanza

For more information click here

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COVID 19 IN AN URBAN WORLD

POLICY BRIEF

The increase of population in cities over the last decades has intensified a set of challenges which COVID 19 has exposed all the while it has increased the challenges that inhabitants of cities and governments face. With a 90% of reported cases in urban zones, these have become the epicenter of the pandemic. Cities can manage this crisis and emerge as centers of energy, resilience and innovation and to foster awareness of the multiple public policy options to engage inequalities and to establish a recovery plan which is truly inclusive.

To read full document click here

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Dignified Housing as a Healthcare solution

HURBANITY proposes an original concept based on flexibility. This allows adaptation to different political and sociocultural backgrounds of each construction site, all the while preserving the Hurbanity vision: acting on behalf of social diversity and generating new life opportunities for each of the inhabitants of the project.

According to the New Urban Agenda 2016, poverty, inequality and environmental degradation are considered fundamental obstacles that limit urban development processes. Therefore, dignified housing requires special attention, both in slums and in planned urban neighborhoods within the city. Improving housing conditions in small cities and rural areas is essential to building a more just society. It therefore becomes urgent to promote healthy projects that are able to articulate the policy agendas of cities and municipalities with the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 11- Sustainable cities and communities- as well as commitments by local governments within the framework of the New Urban Agenda.

This with the purpose that housing projects respond not only to the right to housing but also contribute in an integral and systemic manner to the protection of health of our communities and our territory.

This organization published an open letter in which justifications for dignified housing are highlighted.

Additionally, Hurbanity has the “We can live together” (“Podemos vivir juntos”) project which is a video report on the Colombian context. In 2016 the Colombian government and the FARC armed group signed a historical peace agreement. This political act signaled the end of a 53 year-long nationwide guerilla warfare. Today former combatants are Colombian citizens who return to share a life with the rest of society. Hurbanity promotes improving life together through housing projects developed around the axis of social diversity and inclusion with the purpose of disarming social stereotypes.

Find teaser here

See open letter here (in Spanish)

See open letter here (in English)

One of the products of the LAV conducted on June 18th 2020, in collaboration with the HIC-Latin America and CLACSO channels is the publication of the following research paper prepared by Catalina Ortiz (PhD, University College London) and Maria Mercedes Di Virgilio (PhD, Universidad de BuenosAires).

#LavAsentamientosCOVID19

#SociedadCivilCovid19

#ODS11

#HLPF2020

Some of the key messages are:

1. Isolation, social distancing and quarantine strategies as applied in other contexts are not sustainable en in some cases not viable because they put survival of inhabitants of neighborhoods with precarious conditions at risk.

2.The most forthcoming strategy to capitalize the immediate response and contribute to long-term post-pandemic recovery is to construe an intersectoral alliance that catapults a renewed program for integral improvement of slums.

3.Regional engagement is key to support a regional find that supports integration for social, economic and productive recovery of affected households and businesses.

For mor details on the paper (spannish version) click here

This  online event was conducted in collaboration with CITIES ALLIANCE and the UHPH Plaform (#PlataformaUHPH) with support from Habitat for Humanity, UNIAPRAVI, CLACSO, RIVHA, CIEDUR, REDEUS-LAC, TECHO, Global Platform for the Right of the City, DIPU-UCL and HIC-AL.

The UHPH is proud to confirm the attendance of sociologist, writer, and professor Saskia Sassen as the main lecturer during the 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Housing and Habitat Forum to be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from June 12 to 14, 2018. Dr. Saskia Sassen is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, as well as member and former chair of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University. Her research focuses on cities, immigration and the states in the world economy. Inequality, gender and digitalization are three key variables present in her work. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Argentina and Italy, she completed her studies in France and has published eight books. She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including multiple honorary doctorates and the 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences for her contribution to urban sociology and to the analysis of the dimensions of globalization. Without a doubt, it will be an honor to have her during the 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Housing and Habitat Forum.