Register for the Shelter Afrique 40th Annual General Meeting and Symposium
Theme: Four Decades of Housing Policies in Africa: Mapping the Next Forty Years
Introduction
The 29th Annual General Meeting of Shelter Afrique was held in Uganda in 2010 addressed Housing Policies in Africa: Implementation effectiveness, impact and lessons learnt. At the start of a new decade, there is a need to review the policy environment in Africa, not only to measure growth, successes and challenges but more importantly to forecast the next ten years to shape policy for our member-states.
The claim is often made in development circles that Africa does not suffer from a policy gap but an implementation gap, and while that may be accurate to a degree, it belies the fact that quite often the African policy environment has remained static and undynamic. If we consider the fact that Africa is urbanising at a rapid rate without the consequent increase in productivity, it reveals the current situation where we are urbanising without industrialising.
The import of this is that rural-urban migration continues without the jobs to sustain that urbanisation which often leads to slum-dwelling; do policies in Africa recognise this dynamic? How are plans in Africa reacting to the constant but recently urgent case of Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) as they have a bearing on urbanisation and housing demand? How are policies in Africa accounting for the effects of climate change and the possibility of global epidemics as a consequence? Is it possible that the Ebola epidemic that spread through West Africa a few years ago is also a failure of Housing Policy? The contagion was spread mostly in informal settlements or slum dwellings; these are some of the questions to consider as the conversation on Housing Policy is addressed.
Shelter Afrique and Housing Policy
The focus on policy is a natural fit for Shelter Afrique, in recent years, it has coalesced its efforts on policymaking and advocacy into the Centre of Excellence (CoE), which will serve as the convener of the Symposium. More so, given the context of the 40th anniversary and the opportunity to engage it retrospective, it may be more useful to showcase what we expect the future of affordable housing to be in the next four decades. It provides an opportunity to drive this conversation.
Rationale and Gap to fill
The symposium will look to answer the following areas and highlight what we believe will work in the coming years, this list is not exclusive and will be modified where necessary
• Is there such a thing as the African Housing Problem?
• Have African countries supported policies or laws to encourage PPPs?
• Have we established a Best Practice Framework for Policy?
• How does the African Union efforts on the Model Law play a role in shaping African Policy?
• What is the relationship between the African Common Position on Habitat III and National Policies?
• Will the Leapfrog model work for housing in Africa?
• How does technology play a role, what will blockchain unlock?
• And what does the African Continental Free Trade Area work for housing?
• How will Africa address the matter of rapid urbanisation without industrialisation?
• How does Africa react to the emerging concerns of Internally Displaced Persons?
Addressing policy allows The CoE position itself as a vital part of the conversation on the Model Law and the African Common Position, both of which Shelter Afrique has committed to as part of its efforts to integrate into the African Union.
It also shows continuity in Shelter Afrique’s approach and will allow SHAF to demonstrate its convening power.
The Symposium will be a full-day event on the 23rd of June 2021
Focus Session
Predicting the Future; Emerging Trends
Speaker- Edlam Yemeru, PhD, Chief, Urbanisation and Development Section, United Nations- Economic Commission for Africa
• What can Africa expect in the Policy environment in the next decade
• How are matters such as Climate Change and IDPs likely to affect the Policy Environment
• How can Africa create policies that address the gap between Industrialisation and Urbanisation?
• Is there a role for technology in the creation of Housing Policies?
Focus Session
Focus on West and Central Africa (Francophone Speaker)
Speaker- Francois Perret- Head of Affordable Housing, Lafarge
• Review of the Housing Policies in West and Central Africa;
• Challenges of Housing Policy
• How can countries adapt their national policies to the Common African Position?
Focus Session
Focus on Southern African/Northern Africa
• Review of the Housing Policies in Southern Africa;
• Challenges of Housing Policy over
• How can countries adapt their national policies to the Common African Position?
Focus Session
Review of the STC-8 Committee on Model Law
Speaker- Dr Muhammad Gambo/Dr Claude Ngomisi
• What are the Key Milestones on the road to the Model Law?
• How does the Model Law converge with municipal law?
• What is the Policy Framework that supports successful affordable Housing?
Program
The program can be download below
Our Speakers
Edlam Yemeru
PhD, Chief, Urbanisation and Development Section, United Nations
François Perrot
Head of Affordable Housing, Lafarge
Dr Muhammad Gambo
Head of Policy, Research and Partnership