Somalia's ambassador identifies three key challenges in affordable housing at WUF13

Three key issues in the area of ​​affordable housing require urgent solutions, Somalia's Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, said at the panel discussion "In search of the best solutions for sustainable housing and resilient cities - Voices from Cities" at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, according to Report.

"Without developed infrastructure, affordability, and a special approach to internally displaced persons, housing programs risk being ineffective," the diplomat stated.

He emphasized that simply constructing housing cannot solve the problem without the accompanying infrastructure in the surrounding area.

"If houses are built 20 kilometers outside the city limits, and residents are deprived of employment opportunities, such housing may become unclaimed," he stated.

The ambassador highlighted the lack of affordability of housing as a second significant problem.

He noted that even with government support measures, inflated mortgage rates, particularly in countries of the Global South, make homeownership a virtually impossible task for the vast majority of the population.

Abdulle identified the situation of internally displaced persons as a third aspect requiring close attention.

People who have endured difficult conditions for many years and have experienced traumatic experiences require a personalized approach that could guarantee them a long-term and sustainable housing solution in their permanent places of residence, the diplomat asserted.