Develop or update strategies to prevent and reduce household crowding (15).
Housing, construction, land use planning
National, community
Regulation
UEE.WJ.ZZ
Policy change in relation to housing services, systems and policies
+
UAL.WJ.ZZ
Policy change in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Ensure sufficient indoor housing temperatures to protect residents from the harmful health effects of cold. For countries with temperate or colder climates, 18°C has been proposed as a safe and wellbalanced indoor temperature to protect the health of general populations during cold seasons (15).
Housing, health, energy
National, community
Regulation
UAL.VB.ZZ&UBE
Planning in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Climate
+
UAL.TK.ZZ&UBE
Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Climate
+
UAL.WI.ZZ&UBE
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Climate
In climate zones with a cold season, install efficient and safe thermal insulation in new housing and retrofit it into existing housing (15).
Housing, construction, energy
National, community
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UAL.WI.QE&UBE
Enforcement of restrictions through laws or standards in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Climate
+
UAL.VA.ZZ&UBE
Raising awareness in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Climate
In populations exposed to high ambient temperatures, develop or update strategies to protect populations from excess indoor heat (15).
Housing, health, energy
National, community
Regulation
UAL.VB.ZZ&UBE
Planning in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Climate
Equip housing with safety devices (such as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, stair gates and window guards) and take measures to reduce hazards that lead to unintentional injuries (15).
Housing, health, construction
National, community
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UAL.WI.ZZ&VCC
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Home safety behaviours
Make an adequate proportion of the housing stock accessible to people with functional impairments, based on the current and projected national prevalence of populations with functional impairments and considering trends of ageing (15).
Housing, construction, health
National, community
Regulation, governance
UAL.TK.ZZ&SXB
Public facilities or infrastructure development in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Engaging in community life
+
UAL.WG.QF&SX1
Applying economic incentives in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Engaging in community life
Fit ceilings, reduce cracks, screen windows, eaves and doors, and reduce aquatic habitats and breeding sources around houses to hinder vectors from entering the house and reduce vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue or Chagas disease (16).
Housing, health, construction
National, community
Universal health coverage
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBQ.RD.ZZ&UAL#CPC Class 5411
Providing goods in relation to animals as vectors of disease
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
General construction services of residential buildings
+
UBQ.TM.ZZ
Environmental modification in relation to animals as vectors of disease
Access to healthy housing and tenure security (17).
· Promote secure tenure and the availability of housing options, including the neutral treatment of tenure options (such as ownership or renting), in order to encourage the development of adequate supplies of affordable housing.
· Promote transparent and fair rental markets with a balance of rights and duties between landlords and tenants through adequate legislation and conflict resolution mechanisms in order to facilitate residential and labour mobility.
· Contribute to well-functioning, efficient, equitable and transparent housing markets and land markets, which respond to different types of housing demand as well as favouring credit access for socially and economically vulnerable population groups, including through alternative forms of funding, such as housing microfinance.
Housing, finance, land use planning
National, community
Regulation, governance
UEE.WJ.ZZ
Policy change in relation to housing services, systems and policies
Introduce loans and subsidies to support homeowners in implementing housing improvement interventions (15).
Housing, finance
National, community
Taxes and subsidies
UAL.WG.QF
Applying economic incentives in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Develop or update legislative and regulatory codes to control the design and construction of new dwellings to ensure that the necessary and appropriate precautions and sustainability measures are incorporated to protect against the identified potential threats to health and safety (18).
Housing, construction, health
National, community
Regulation
UAL.WI.ZZ
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Develop or update national and local policies and programmes with defined, prioritized target areas where the most serious conditions in the existing housing stock are likely to be present (18).
Housing, construction, health
National, community
Regulation
UAL.WJ.ZZ
Policy change in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
+
UAL.WI.ZZ
Restrictions through laws or standards in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Raise awareness and educate all those involved in the design, construction, management, maintenance and repair/rehabilitation of housing and building-related equipment about the links between housing conditions and health (18).
Housing, construction, health
National, community
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UAL.VA.ZZ
Capacity building in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
+
UAL.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
+
UAL.PM.ZZ
Education in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Conduct public awareness campaigns to enable householders to make informed decisions such as bout adequate room temperatures, by informing them of dangers (such as carbon monoxide and the threats to others from second-hand tobacco smoke) and of important precautions (such as effective ventilation). Householders should also be made aware of any subsidies that may be available, such as financial assistance, towards energy efficiency improvements(18).
Housing, health, energy
National, community,
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UBL.VA.ZZ&UAL
Capacity building in relation to indoor air quality
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
+
UBL.VB.ZZ&UAL
Awareness raising in relation to indoor air quality
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Increase involvement of the health sector in the development and implementation of policies and programmes directed at dealing with inadequate housing. Systems should be put in place that enable health professionals to refer patients for housing advice where they present with health conditions and injuries that could be related to housing conditions (18).
Health
National, community
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UEP.VA.ZZ&UAL
Capacity building in relation to health services, systems and policies
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Use integrated slum upgrading strategies to improve the health and well-being of householders in slums, providing them with access to basic services and infrastructure and including them in decision-making processes (19).
Housing, construction, land use planning, health
National, community
Universal health coverage
Infrastructure, technology and built environment
UAL.TK.ZZ
Public facilities and infrastructure development in relation to design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Ensure that housing strategies include land use and transport planning for walking, cycling and rapid transit/public transport, as well as access to green areas to enhance health and climate benefits and reduce risks (e.g. urban heat island effect) (18).
Housing, construction, land use planning, health, transport
National, community
Universal health coverage
Infrastructure, technology and built environment, governance
UAN.TB.ZZ&UAL
Planning in relation to products and technology of land development
Design, construction and building products and technology of buildings for private use
Integrate planning and construction of houses into urban development strategies (4).
Housing, construction, land use planning
National, community
Governance
UEE.TB.ZZ&UAN
Planning in relation to housing services, systems and policies
Products and technology of land development
• WHO 2020: Repository and review of policies, regulations and legislation to promote healthy housing (20) The repository provides an overview of policies, regulations and legislation from all six WHO regions to improve housing-related health risks such as crowding, indoor air quality, indoor temperature and building materials. The related review analyses implementation barriers and facilitators of example policies and describes case studies of multisectoral implementation projects.
• SHERPA 2020: SHERPA for sustainable housing projects (21)
SHERPA is a self-evaluation tool for project managers, communities and other stakeholders involved in the planning, design, construction and assessment of housing projects.
• WHO 2018: WHO housing and health guidelines (15)
The WHO housing and health guidelines provide evidence-based and practical recommendations on how to reduce health risks from poor housing conditions. The guidelines summarize all WHO guidance relevant to housing and provide practical implementation considerations such as a list of existing crowding measures or case studies on home modification programmes simultaneously addressing several housing risks.
• UN-Habitat 2018: Alternative solutions to forced evictions and slum demolitions (22)
Using four real-life cases, this publication prescribes short-term, medium-term and long-term guidance that has prevented forced evictions and mitigated the risks of evictions that have taken place.
• UN-Habitat 2017: The human rights-based approach to housing and slum upgrading (23)
This handbook is a guide for practitioners upgrading housing and slums in using the human rights-based approach in their interventions by applying methods such as causality analysis, role pattern analysis and capacity gap analysis.
• UN-Habitat 2014: Accessibility of housing. A handbook of inclusive affordable housing for persons with disabilities and older persons (24)
This handbook aims to bridge the existing gap between the needs and rights of persons with disabilities and older persons through slum upgrading, reconstruction, and large-scale affordable and social housing programmes. Through the provision of concepts, major policy approaches, practical information and technical tools, the handbook intends to build capacity to increase accessibility (such as through design and implementation) in identified contexts. Likewise, it brings to light the implications and the global importance of developing accessibility of sustainable human settlements.
• UN-Habitat 2013: Housing and slum upgrading: gender issue guide (25)
This guide’s objectives are to: i) increase understanding of gender concerns and needs in housing and slum upgrading; ii) develop capacity to address gender issues in this area; iii) encourage the integration of a gender perspective into policies, projects, and programmes for sustainable urban development; and iv) support the institutionalization of the culture of gender mainstreaming and gender equality, the implementation of gender-sensitive projects and programmes, and the monitoring of gender-mainstreaming progress.
• UN-Habitat 2010: A practical guide for conducting housing profiles – revised version (26)
A practical guide to conducting comprehensive national housing profiles with a direct objective of understanding the housing sector, while offering evidence-based data to inform policy reform. The housing profile process also aims to be highly participatory and engage multi-stakeholder groups that influence and are influenced by the housing sector.
• UN-Habitat 2001: Tools to support participatory urban decision making (13)
This toolkit is a contribution to the Global Campaign on Urban Governance, an initiative led by UN-Habitat in collaboration with a whole range of partners whose development goal is to contribute to the eradication of poverty through improved urban governance. This toolkit will contribute to the wider dialogue, advocacy and capacity-building efforts towards improved urban governance.