Despite the efforts of national and local governments, the private sector, civil society, and the international community, access to adequate housing remains a major challenge for an increasing number of people throughout the world. What is perhaps different now is that this challenge is affecting people in countries at all levels of social and economic development. A key factor has been the increasing dominance of market economics that promote housing as an economic asset and not a place in which to live and grow as part of a community. Despite the lessons of the 2008 financial crisis, housing costs have risen far faster than incomes, making access to all forms of tenure increasingly difficult.

At the root of this challenge lies the legal and institutional frameworks by which land and housing are managed (Ryan Collins et al, 2017). A key factor in improving access to affordable housing is to improve the governance and management of land markets, especially in urban and peri-urban areas where demand far outstrips supply, causing inflationary spirals. While the costs of labor, public services, and construction materials are commonly similar from one housing project to another, the costs of land can vary dramatically depending on its proximity to urban centers, commercial zones and public services, planning and development potential. For example, an urban residential plot of land may be worth a hundred times more than an adjacent agricultural plot, while another plot with full planning approval and access to public services may be worth significantly more than one without.