integrating informal settlements in urban centers

www.unhabitat.af

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Integrating Informal Settlements

in Urban Centers

Integrating Informal Settlements in Urban Centers, 14-16 December 2016, India6th Asian Pacific Ministerial Confernce on Housing and Urban Development

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Outline

Section 1 – Trends

Section 2 – Challenges

Section 3 – Strategies, Policies, Tools

Section 4 – Alignment with New Urban Agenda


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Section 1 – Trends


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Slums Definition

‘UN-Habitat defines a slum household as a group of people living

under the same roof in an urban area who lack one or more of the

following conditions: durable housing, sufficient living area, access

to clean water, access to proper sanitation and secure tenure.’


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Global Trends

• By 2012, nearly 33 percent of the urban residents in the world’s developing regions still lived in slums.


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Global Trends

• Global number of urban slum dwellers estimated at 863 million in 2012, up from 760 million in 2000, and 650 million in 1990


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Trends in Asia Pacific Region

Slum population declined significantly between 1995 to 2014

• East Asia from 39% to 25%

• South-East Asia from 45% to 26%

• South Asia from 53% to 30%.


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Trends: Asia Pacific Region

• Slum dwellers in the region

• Global slum population in the region

• Urban residents without access to drinking water

• Urban residents without access to improved sanitation

500 million

50 percent

55 million

480 millionIntegrating Informal Settlements in Urban Centers, 14-16 December 2016, India6th Asian Pacific Ministerial Confernce on Housing and Urban Development

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Section 2 – Challenges


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Challenges: Asia-Pacific Region

• Housing unaffordability forcing urban poor into substandard

housing

• Out-dated legislations in rental market hampering housing supply


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• Overcrowding impacts quality of life, health and safety

• In Hong Kong, 67000 housing units occupied by 171300

persons; Average area per capita: 6.5 sq.m


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• Unrecognised settlements are

excluded from official urban

statistics

• Settlements may not even

appear on any city map


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• Unsuitable location such as hillsides, flood-prone areas, and

agricultural land in the urban hinterlands


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• Exclusion of economic migrants, internally displaced persons

• In Afghanistan, large influx of returnees; 250,000 returnees to

date in 2016; 700,000 persons expected in next few months


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Challenges: Summary

• Low levels of tenure security and constant threat

of eviction

• Lack of access to basic services - safe water

and improved sanitation

• Overcrowding

• Poor structural quality of the house

• Higher vulnerability to insecurity, crime and

disasters

• Lack of governance structures


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Section 3 – Strategies, Policies, Tools


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Evidence-based Policy Design

In Afghanistan, Two Flagship Publications

1. State of Afghan Cities, 2015

2. Atlas of Afghan City Regions, 2016

o Irregular housing in Kabul:66%; total: 263,517 units

o National: 63% (avg.); total 608,700 units


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Key Findings: Informal Settlements & Housing

• Urban areas are Informal Settlements in Kabul

• Vacant area in cities

• New housing units needed per year

• Housing demand from low and very low income families

70 percent

27 percent

43,000

77 percentIntegrating Informal Settlements in Urban Centers, 14-16 December 2016, India6th Asian Pacific Ministerial Confernce on Housing and Urban Development

Policy Response

• Holistic policy approach encompassing livelihoods

• Urban National Priority Programme

• Informal Settlements Upgrading Policy

• Community-Level Financing Tools


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Policy Response: Holistic policy approach

India - four prioritizing slum improvement and poverty alleviation:

1. Enhancing the productivity of the urban poor by building

skills and providing access to micro-credit;

2. Improving the living conditions of the poor through provision

of basic services and in-situ development of slum

settlements;

3. Providing security of tenure to poor families living in

unauthorized settlements and improving their access to

serviced low-cost housing and subsidized housing finance;

and

4. Empowering the urban poor through community

development and encouraging their participation in decision-

making.


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Policy Response:

Urban National Priority Programme

Pillar One:

Strengthen

Urban

Governance

and Institutions

6 objectives

Pillar Two:

Ensure

Adequate

Housing &

access to Basic

Urban Services

for all

Pillar Three:

Harness the

Urban

Economy and

Infrastructure

7 objectives 6 objectives

2.2. Upgrading informal settlements to integrate into the

urban fabric;


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• Upgrading and Land re-adjustment, if needed

• Redevelopment and Relocation

Policy Response:

Informal Settlements Upgrading Policy


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• Micro-credit institutions to partly cover basic service delivery

• Community contributions for neighborhood upgrading

Policy Response:

Community Level Financing Tools


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Flagship Programmes

• Slum Rehabilitation Schemes

• Cities For All

• Sustainable Reintegration through Inclusive Urban Areas

Support Program


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• In-situ redevelopment: Since 1995, Slum Rehabilitation

Authority offers formal housing free of cost to slum dwellers

• Relocation to alternative sites in proximity to livelihoods

Flagship Programmes:

Slum Rehabilitation Schemes


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• Secure land tenure for all Afghans

• Increasing municipal revenues through safayi taxes

• Promoting urban economy and investment

• Creating hope and stability for urban Afghans


Cities For All (CFA) Programme


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• Rapid Land Identification and Allocation Process

• Incremental Housing

• China: demolishing dilapidated traditional neighborhoods and

building large quantities of new housing


Sustainable Reintegration


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Section 4 – Alignment with New Urban Agenda


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Alignment with New Urban Agenda

• People’s process: knowledge rests with community; need to

harness this rather than approach as a purely ‘technical

problem’

CDC and Gozar

participatory mapping of

neighbourhoods –

Residents know exactly

the boundaries,

ownership, renters, public

properties, etc


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• Institutional anchoring is crucial to build accountability and

transparency, and champion the urban agenda

• In Afghanistan, Urban High Council, instituted consisting of

more than 15 government agencies




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• Urban planning and redevelopment interventions based

on situation assessment across multiple criteria

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• Reactive and proactive strategies are needed in tandem to

improve existing conditions and prevent future crisis


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• Monitoring framework

embedded in the policies

and programmes to

objectively track progress

towards delivery with

transparency,

accountability, and anti-

corruption oversight


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