Asia-Pacific forum on housing in S'pore
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Jackson Sawatan
International speakers and leading experts in housing have gathered in Singapore on Monday and Tuesday for the first ever Asia-Pacific Housing Forum, organised by Habitat for Humanity.
The forum outlined the four key areas of housing development -- housing as an economic development priority, housing finance, alternative housing solutions and housing finance for the poor.
"The year 2007 is a landmark year as more people will be living in cities than in rural areas. The demand, supply and usage of housing goes to the heart of this region's development where 60 per cent of the world's slums exist," said Rick Hathaway, director of regional programmes of Habitat for Humanity International in Asia-Pacific.
"Singapore with its successful public housing programme is a good fit to hold an initiative that builds on Habitat for Humanity's ongoing efforts to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the region," he said.
The forum was held in collaboration with Singapore Institute of Planners in the lead up to the United Nations (UN) World Habitat Day on October
1.According to the UN Population Division report entitled "World Urbanisation Prospects: The 2003 Revision", by this year, more people will be living in cities than in rural areas, marking a historic demographic shift.
Alarmingly, 60 per cent of the world's slum areas are in the Asia Pacific region, with most having little or no access to safe drinking water, sanitation and the most basic amenities.
By the year 2030, another 1.3 billion people, mostly poverty-stricken, are expected to move to urban areas. Between 40 to 70 per cent of the region's people are too poor to afford a mortgage.
Habitat for Humanity said that to add to the situation, Asia's state of poverty housing and homelessness had been exacerbated by recent natural disasters such as the tsunami in 2004, which left more than two million people homeless.
..............
Bernama
International speakers and leading experts in housing have gathered in Singapore on Monday and Tuesday for the first ever Asia-Pacific Housing Forum, organised by Habitat for Humanity.
The forum outlined the four key areas of housing development -- housing as an economic development priority, housing finance, alternative housing solutions and housing finance for the poor.
"The year 2007 is a landmark year as more people will be living in cities than in rural areas. The demand, supply and usage of housing goes to the heart of this region's development where 60 per cent of the world's slums exist," said Rick Hathaway, director of regional programmes of Habitat for Humanity International in Asia-Pacific.
"Singapore with its successful public housing programme is a good fit to hold an initiative that builds on Habitat for Humanity's ongoing efforts to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the region," he said.
The forum was held in collaboration with Singapore Institute of Planners in the lead up to the United Nations (UN) World Habitat Day on October
1.According to the UN Population Division report entitled "World Urbanisation Prospects: The 2003 Revision", by this year, more people will be living in cities than in rural areas, marking a historic demographic shift.
Alarmingly, 60 per cent of the world's slum areas are in the Asia Pacific region, with most having little or no access to safe drinking water, sanitation and the most basic amenities.
By the year 2030, another 1.3 billion people, mostly poverty-stricken, are expected to move to urban areas. Between 40 to 70 per cent of the region's people are too poor to afford a mortgage.
Habitat for Humanity said that to add to the situation, Asia's state of poverty housing and homelessness had been exacerbated by recent natural disasters such as the tsunami in 2004, which left more than two million people homeless.
..............
Bernama