PROGRAM GUIDE

The theme for the India Housing Forum 8 is ‘Reshaping Inclusive Growth Through Housing’, bringing to the forefront the urgent need for solutions in building truly sustainable and affordable housing. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, barriers, gaps and exclusions across political, social, economic and environmental systems severely limited opportunities for many to live in adequate housing.

As countries face the repercussions of the pandemic, the housing sector can be a key element for economic, social, and environmental recovery. Likewise, assuring housing availability for all can lighten the economic and social challenges resulting from the pandemic. New perspectives and innovations for housing are needed. The theme of ‘Reshaping Inclusive Growth Through Housing’ will assess and address the underlying housing issues, and propose recommendations to support more inclusive housing outcomes.

TRACKS

The India Housing Forum 8 will delve into the following tracks:

Track 1: Building Resilient Cities and Communities

Building inclusive, healthy, resilient, and sustainable cities requires intensive and coordinated policy responses and investment choices at both national and local levels in partnership with communities. This track focuses on how city leaders can gain new insights for transformation, and shape the recovery efforts by working across divisions and in partnership with local community and business leaders.

Track 2: Innovative Housing Solutions and Technologies

Demand for housing continues to outpace supply as the world’s population expands and materials costs rise making it more challenging to build affordable homes. Current housing development plans have proved inadequate. New innovations can be instrumental in responding to the lack of quality homes. This track will explore ways in which the growing need for affordable housing solutions can be addressed using innovative housing policies, solutions and technologies.

Track 3: Advancing Sustainability in the Housing Sector

Rapid economic growth in the country has come at the cost of increased use of natural resources, growing greenhouse gas emissions and waste production. This track will examine the multiple functions of housing in India, as both a physical and socio-cultural system, as well as ways in which the environmental, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of housing sustainability can be harmonized to ensure sustainable and equitable cities.

Track 4: Financing Affordable Housing

Financing affordable housing is still a major issue in India as we struggle to house the rapidly growing population. Adequate financing structures and funding are therefore critical to addressing the affordable housing challenge. This track will examine financing instruments of different actors in both public and private sectors for funding affordable housing.