Due to resource constraints, Housing Policy Section activities in this area are limited to efforts to improve access to previously published material in this area. These activities attempt to address the request to UN-HABITAT in the Habitat Agenda of "exchanging information on best practices and encouraging research activities on sustainable approaches and methods concerning building materials and construction technology" (paragraph 228.d).

The main activity undertaken is the preparation of an annotated UN-HABITAT bibliography on building materials and construction technologies.