10-B Amen Habte-Gabreil Global Perspectives IR TOPIC: Migration and Urbanization ISSUE: Effects of gentrification on housing TOPIC: Should our continued urbanization efforts worldwide compromise the need of adequate housing? (918 words) Under the declaration of human rights, everyone has the right to adequate housing, however due to urbanization and other factors, this right is only being applied to a privileged few. As of 2022, 57% of the world’s population lived in urban areas3 and it’s projected that by 2055 this will rise exponentially2. Hence, urbanization is an issue that affects a large portion of the world. What are the causes of urbanization in cities around the world? Urbanization has led to a significant inequality in cities, particularly in access to adequate housing7.One cause of such problems is the rising price of housing within the major cities around the world. As more people migrate to cities, demand for housing obviously rise: hence causes owners to increase prices, and while some are able to cope with this increase, others cannot. Central and Southern Asia, one of the top three regions with the most slums, has an average price-to-income ratio of 15.8, making it severely unaffordable. Limited supply also contributes to housing shortages, as the pace of home construction cannot keep up with the rapid growth of urban areas. So individuals lose their right to adequate housing, even if they can afford housing What consequences has urbanization brought? Approximately 1.1 billion people currently live in slums in cities, with 2 billion more expected in the coming years4. Slums are unhealthy, unsanitary living spaces that promote disease spread and death8. Inadequate housing leads to rising unemployment, as more income is spent on housing, reducing spending on education, training, and self-development. Global Perspective What are international organizations doing to remedy housing-shortages? Adequate housing has had a profound impact on nations around the world. It has been recognized as a “global crisis”10. One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to achieve universal access to adequate housing and the upgrading of slums by 2030. However, it has been deemed as “very optimistic” by African Business magazine14. The UN-Habitat has made significant contributions to mitigating housing shortages around the world such as: successfully avoided evictions 28 countries, provided technical advice to 42 governments on how to conduct a comprehensive in-depth analysis of the urban housing sector and produced 18 publications on the Right to Adequate Housing. How has urbanization led to dispossession around the world? 10-B Amen Habte-Gabreil Global Perspectives IR Every year 2 million people around the world are evicted from their homes and the main reason for dispossession is urban development12. These people are then forced to settle for a home that they’d prefer not be in, if any home at all. However, Leilani Farha, says resettlement can only happen after securing the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples and providing just compensation13. People should have the option to choose whether to leave their homes for development or urbanization, as this would clearly violate their rights. National Perspective What has the national government done to reduce housing shortages? Nigeria, a country which experiences 53.52% of its population in urban areas has had a house deficit surge from 14 million units in 2010 to a staggering 28 million units in 2022, marking a remarkable 100% increase over the past 1.2 decades15. In a plausible attempt to tackle this prevalent issue the government has made a bold move in planning to build 300,000 affordable homes per year over the next decade, with the goal of providing shelter for low-income families16. What government organizations are there regarding housing shortages? The government has recognized the severity of the nature of house shortages and has as a result formed the National Housing Program. A program committed to providing adequate and affordable housing through home ownership and rental schemes for all Nigerians. This initiative now has housing schemes in 34 different states all accessible through a simple application form. This makes access to adequate housing for Nigerians a bit more easily accessible and attainable16. Courses Of Action On a global scale, countries can implement less strict immigration policies, as the construction industry heavily relies on immigrant workers: reducing housing costs, lower developing costs, and alleviate labor shortages. With migrants getting jobs, it’s a win-win situation17. In Nigeria, a similar system to LA, California, allowing abandoned motels to be converted into permanent supportive housing for the homeless, regardless of zoning requirements, could be implemented. This approach is quick and cost-effective, and governments and developers are not expected to pay for construction. From a more personal point of view there isn’t much I could do to reduce housing shortages worldwide but one thing I definitely can do is play my part in advocating for affordable and adequate housing both here in Nigeria and worldwide. Evaluation of sources and evidence Most of the information used in this paper is from the UN and its body initiatives such as UNHabitat. The UN-Habitat is a reliable and trustworthy source because it has decades of experience and its main organization (UN) is internationally recognized. 10-B Amen Habte-Gabreil Global Perspectives IR I also used a tourism consultant’s LinkedIn account on Irish properties and their problems. However, this source is less compelling because the author has no background and expertese in housing and may have a keen interest because she is writing about her town, however the article is up-to-date. Additionally, data from the EPA, U.S. the official government website is trusted as it has vested interest in giving accurate information. Reflection Initially, I believed urbanization should not forsake the need for adequate housing, as housing is a fundamental human right essential for life. My research confirmed this conviction 12. I thought it was criminal to displace people for development. However, my opinion has slightly changed. I now believe that, occasionally, certain houses need to be sacrificed for economic prosperity, which can ultimately improve lives. Nonetheless, people shouldn’t be left stranded and receive compensation, as done in LA17. 10-B Amen Habte-Gabreil Global Perspectives IR Bibliography 1. Author: Not cited https://www.epa.gov/caddis/urbanization-overview (Date accessed: 5/30/2024) 2. Author: Not cited https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/urbanization-0 (Date accessed: 5/30/2024) 3. Author: Not cited https://hbs.unctad.org/total-and-urbanpopulation/#:~:text=Urbanization%20continues&text=The%20share%20of%20urban%20populat ion,minority%20(35.8%20per%20cent). (Date accessed: 5/30/2024) 4. Author: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/goal11/#:~:text=Approximately%201.1%20billion%20people%20currently,in%20the%20next%2030 %20years. (Date accessed: 5/31/2024) 5. Author: Matthias Helble https://blogs.adb.org/blog/housing-unaffordability-crisis-asia (Date accessed: 5/31/2024) 6. Author: Tafura Khatun https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-housing-crisis-ireland-causes-solutions-tafurakhatun-lltme/ (Data accessed: 5/31/2024) 7. Author: https://www.un.org/en/desa/urbanization-expanding-opportunities-deeper-divides (Date accessed: 6/1/2024) 8. Author: Kaci Racelma https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2012/towards-african-cities-withoutslums#:~:text=The%20lack%20of%20adequate%20sanitation,contribute%20to%20low%20life% 20expectancy. (Date accessed: 6/1/2024) 9. Author: Victor Michael https://aspjournals.org/ajahss/index.php/ajahss/article/download/40/39#:~:text=The%20study%20 also%20revealed%20that,issues%2C%20and%20sluggish%20economic%20growth. (6/1/2024) 10. Author: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/housing-crisis-immigrantsintegration#:~:text=Lack%20of%20affordable%20housing%20worldwide,to%203%20billion%2 0by%202030. (6/1/2024) 11. Author: Not cited https://press.un.org/en/2008/gaef3224.doc.htm (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 12. Author: https://unhabitat.org/programme/housing-rights (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 13. Author: https://press.un.org/en/2019/gashc4270.doc.htm (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 14. Author: Ben Payton https://african.business/2023/07/resources/africas-housing-crisis-developers-seek-to-scalesolutions#:~:text=Decent%20and%20affordable%20housing%20is,crisis%20receives%20remark ably%20little%20attention. (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 15. Author: https://blueprint.ng/fixing-nigerias-28-million-housing-deficit-amirage/#:~:text=Of%20course%2C%20Nigeria%27s%20housing%20problems,million%20housi ng%20units%20in%202022 (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 10-B Amen Habte-Gabreil Global Perspectives IR 16. Author: https://briscoeproperties.com/nigerian-government-takes-bold-step-to-tackle-housing-deficitplans-to-build-300000-affordable-homes-annually-for-low-income-families/ (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 17. Author: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/03/how-to-solve-the-global-housing-crisis/ (Date accessed 6/1/2024) 18. Author: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/10-ways-cities-are-tackling-the-global-affordablehousing-crisis/ (Date accessed: 6/1/2024) 10-B Amen Habte-Gabreil Global Perspectives IR
