This from International Union for Housing Finance Housing Finance (IUHF)’s quarterly publication of Autumn 2020. International Housing Finance International is published four times a year by the International Union for Housing Finance (IUHF).

The escalating global housing crisis is one of humanity’s greatest challenges. At least 1.2  billion people worldwide live in substandard housing, often lacking access to basic services and infrastructure. This is increasing rapidly in the context of accelerating urban population growth, especially in rapidly urbanizing Africa and Asia.1 The World Bank estimates that 300  million new homes will be required by  2030 to bridge the global deficit, with the majority of this need concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.2 This will require a global investment of $17  trillion to facilitate land acquisition and housing construction –  representing a huge untapped market for the private sector.3 While the challenge is vast, the opportunity is enormous. Delivering quality, serviced, and genuinely affordable housing at scale in Africa and Asia has the potential to achieve transformative positive impacts on the lives of billions of people in the lower-end of the income pyramid.