Human Settlements Financing Tools and Best Practices (technical reports and tools)

This initiative will introduce various human settlements financing instruments and tools. It develops guidelines, handbooks, and tools for hands-on human settlements finance practices. The emphasis will be on mortgage finance, community-based financial instruments, credit enhancement, revolving fund, microfinance schemes, community-based financial intermediaries, municipal financial intermediaries, subsidy and incentives schemes, bridging finance, securitisation, project finance instruments, municipal finance instruments, risk assessment and risk management, fund-raising instruments, special purpose vehicles, and mobilization of domestic and long-term resources.

Human Settlements Finance Systems (monographs)

The availability of adequate human settlements finance is the cornerstone of any effective and sustainable human settlements policies and strategies. Therefore, human settlements finance is a very important tool in the successful implementation of the Habitat Agenda. The long-term improvement of human settlements conditions requires a system-wise solution. With rapid urbanization and the global trend of marketisation of the housing sector, a need for an effective human settlements finance system becomes more evident. This initiative aims to evaluate and compare national human settlements finance systems, and to explore the conditions, constraints and principles for an effective human settlements finance systems and factors which lead to the variations. It looks at the relationships of human settlements finance and national economic development and other sectors. It promotes effective human settlements finance systems and explore the local-situatedness and adaptability of human settlements finance systems across countries.

Human Settlements Finance and Policies (occasional papers)

Human settlements are places of organised human activities. The way in which human settlements are organised is influenced by the pace and breadth of socio-economic development. Such development cannot take place without linkages and continuous interactions between physical, institutional, economic and social structures. Human settlements are the product of deliberate planning or of spontaneous and uncontrolled economic and social activities. They are ultimately determined by policies and human actions.

The national resource allocation and finance strategies are evolving towards the identification of national development priorities and challenges. Therefore, a full understanding of human settlements finance needs to be looked upon in the national policy context, and links finance to policy debate. This approach is increasingly appreciated by policy-makers and planners when addressing human settlements finance problems and policy options. The Human Settlements Finance and Policies initiative aims to explore the intricacy of finance and policy interrelations and to promote better human settlements finance policy and strategies.

Contact

Xing Quan Zhang, Ph.D.
Urban Economy and Finance Branch
UN-HABITAT
P. O. Box 30030, Gigiri
Nairobi 00100, KENYA
Email: xing.zhang@unhabitat.org
Phone: (+254) 20 762 4659
Fax: (+254) 20 762 4736