We Need to Talk About Housing: A Discussion on What’s Working and What’s Not in the Face of Extreme Housing Inequalities

February 12, 2025 | 9:00—11:00 a.m. (EST) | Virtual

Co-organized by Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity

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Right now, 2.8 billion people are experiencing some form of housing inadequacy across the world. Housing should be a basic human right, and we know that access to adequate housing has enormous social value, boosts economic growth, and improves well-being. Yet, too often, it’s reduced to one thing: money.

In many cities, there’s a stark tension between the responsibility of political actors to provide housing for the public and the relentless drive to extract wealth. The global real estate market is valued at USD 379.7 trillion, as housing is increasingly treated as a privilege, an asset, and a lucrative investment. These financial forces distort priorities, favoring wealth accumulation and speculative investments over the basic human right to housing, and broadening the gap between those benefiting from housing systems and those who cannot afford a place to live in.

Rather than an accident or an inevitability, housing inequalities are a result of deliberate public policy decisions. Housing policies are often captured by wealthy elites and powerful interest groups, prioritizing profit over equity. Zoning laws that favor luxury developments, tax benefits for property investors, and weak enforcement of tenant rights are just a few examples of how policy shapes and perpetuates inequality.

Furthermore, the lack of affordable, decent housing fuels grievances and social unrest, deepening mistrust and disillusionment. It fosters narratives of scarcity and competition, often misdirecting fear and anger toward groups perceived as having better access or as straining public resources, rather than focusing on those who shape and benefit from an unjust housing market.

It’s easy to feel disheartened, as though we’re facing a David-and-Goliath battle and yet, there are movements to push for more equitable housing systems across countries and geographies. Whether it is communities at the forefront of the fight against evictions in India and the United States, governments working with residents to upgrade informal settlements in Indonesia, or bold property tax reforms from Spain to Sierra Leone, many actors are working together to push back, fostering solidarity, and offering innovative, people-centered housing solutions.

Join the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity on February 12th as we create a space to share experiences and ideas. We want to hear from policymakers, activists, academics, and advocates from around the world! Together, we’ll discuss what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can ignite public and political imagination while grounding rhetoric in reality.

Agenda

9:05–9:15 a.m. Introduction

• Welcoming Remarks: Fernando Marani, Program Director, Justice,Inclusion and Equality, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.
• Opening Remarks: Iñaqui Carnicero Alonso-Colmenares, Secretary General for Urban Agenda, Housing and Architecture of Spain.

9:15–9:50 a.m. Experiencing Housing Inequality: Perspectives from Your Context

• Rory Hearne, Member of Ireland’s Parliament representing Dublin North-West and Associate Professor at Maynooth University.
• Máximo Jaramillo, Associate Professor at Universidad de Guadalajara and co-founder of the Institute of Studies on Inequality (INDESIG).
• Paula Sevilla, Housing Justice Researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development.
• Lorena Zárate, Co-Founder and Member of the Support Team, Global Platform for the Right to the City.

Open discussion & collaboration moderated by Raquel Jesse, Program Officer, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

9:50–10:25 a.m. Reflections on Ways Forward

• Kitti Baracsi, Co-founder of Criar Cidade Cooperative, Portugal.
• Philip Desmond Scotland, Second Committee expert at Sierra Leone’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
• Eduardo González Molina, Associate Professor at Universidad Carlos III & Research Fellow at UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.
• UN Habitat (TBC)

Open discussion & collaboration moderated by Paula Sevilla, housing justice researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development

10:25–10:30 a.m. Closing Remarks

• Alexandre Apsan Frediani, Human Settlements principal researcher, International Institute for Environment and
  Development.

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