A ground-breaking partnership to prevent homelessness in UK city Newcastle Upon Tyne and a unique approach to integrate disaster risk management into habitat planning and development in remote areas of Pakistan, are the two Gold Winners of this year’s World Habitat Awards.
Homelessness prevention in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: the partnership approach of Newcastle City Council has prevented over 24,000 households from becoming homeless since 2014. Poverty and deprivation were already long-standing issues in the city before a decade-long programme of austerity reduced municipal budgets by almost a third and welfare spending was severely cut.
However, more than 100 local organisations have worked together to prevent homelessness and promote financial inclusion. This involves addressing issues that can contribute to homelessness, such as debt and access to welfare support – to increase residents’ income and reduce their expenditure where possible. It has maintained extremely low and stable levels of homelessness in spite of a challenging background nationally.
Integrating indigenous knowledge and technology for safer habitat, Pakistan: set up by the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Pakistan (AKAH Pakistan). AKAH geologists use satellite images and risk-mapping tools, with participation from residents (who contribute local knowledge and receive training on the process), to establish residential and economic zones, and develop disaster management plans.
To date, AKAH Pakistan has conducted hazard, vulnerability and risk assessments (HVRAs) in 785 settlements, provided more than 20,000 households with technical assistance in maintaining and improving their homes, constructed over 4,000 shelters for internally displaced people, created more than 280 community disaster management plans, and trained over 50,000 volunteers in community-based disaster risk management.
Alongside these Gold Award Winners, World Habitat are also presenting two Silver Awards and three Bronze Awards:
Compressed Earth Bricks and Community Enterprises, Nepal (Silver)
Enabling local entrepreneurs to build eco-friendly homes and create sustainable micro-enterprises in communities affected by disasters.
Space-S, Netherlands (Silver)
A unique social housing estate in Eindhoven, with its design, development and management led by its residents.
Habitat and living conditions improvement in poor communities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Bronze)
Supporting residents in informal settlements by improving safety of homes, developing community action, and delivering family support and training.
Developing and operating social housing and social care programmes in Budapest, Hungary (Bronze)
A housing renovation, employment support and housing rights advocacy project that delivers affordable rental homes for homeless and low-income people.
Camp In, Portugal (Bronze)
Improving the housing conditions and quality of life of vulnerable or at-risk groups through volunteers, focusing on rural areas.