The Housing Rights Index (HRI) is a decision-support tool developed specifically for the use of housing practitioners and policy makers who are involved in the Housing Practitioners Labs and tailor-made training developed and conducted by UN-Habitat. It is based on the right to adequate housing1 as enshrined in international human rights instruments2 and included in the Habitat Agenda (1996)3 and the New Urban Agenda (2016)4. It is understood as the right of every individual and community to gain and sustain a safe and secure home in which to live in peace and dignity.
The tool has both pedagogic and policy development roles. On the one hand, the deployment of the index will enhance the user’s understanding of the practical meaning of adequate housing rights and enable a better understanding of the policy and practical implications of the seven elements of adequacy that defines the right to adequate housing. On the other hand, the tool supports the user’s assessment of the housing sector with a specific look at the extent to which adequate housing rights are recognized, respected, realized and protected in his/her city.
The Housing Barometer. A tool to support a rapid housing sector review.
The Housing Barometer is a tool to support a rapid analysis of the housing sector. It provides a quick overview of the housing sector that feeds directly into the housing policy formulation process. The Housing Barometer relies on qualitative assessments rather than data and empirical evidences. It expresses the perceptions of policy makers, decision makers and housing practitioners about the performance of the various subsectors of the housing sector. The result of housing sector analysis through the Housing Barometer gives an immediate visualization of the performance of the housing sector by means of the scoring given to each dimension and sub-sector of the Housing Sector in the context that it is being utilized.
The Housing Barometer is a practical tool that draws on the housing sector analysis methodology as outlined in the Practical Guide for Conducting Housing Profiles.
The Housing Barometer enables an easy diagrammatic visualization of the weaknesses and strengths of the housing sector in a given city/country, and as a result provides a basis for further policy discussions. It is illustrated as a housing sector diamond (the geometric figure) that suggests areas for further analysis and possible policy response. The Housing Barometer is therefore a problem-solving tool helping in the identification of the problem areas or policy shortcomings that need attention.
Designing and Implementing Street-Led Citywide Slum Upgrading Programmes: A training module companion
With the number of slum dwellers expected to reach 889 million by 2020 it has been recognized that there is a need to move away from piecemeal project-based slum upgrading interventions. Instead, it is necessary to bring slum upgrading to a citywide scale and implement a twin-track approach that promotes both the upgrading of existing slums and simultaneously uses policy to prevent the multiplication of slums and urban informality.
This Training Module advocates for a coordinated approach to slum upgrading which works with UN Habitat strategic planning components – urban planning, urban legislation, and urban economy – to provide the platform for a sustainable urban future. The approach encourages programme-based improvement of the physical and socio-economic conditions in informal settlements and promotes urban regeneration, transformation and their integration into the overall city planning agenda.
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