Business & Money | Tuesday 25 February, 2020 1:05 am |

The Saudi Green Building Forum (SGBF) delegation concludes its attendance at the 58th session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD58), which addressed affordable housing and social protection systems to address global homelessness. SGBF has aligned our mission with lessons learned from the session and will continue to address the multifaceted issues of affordable housing through a technical, environmentally sustainable perspective.

 

CSocD58 is the first time that the United Nations Commission for Social Development has addressed homelessness within the agenda. Globally, there are 100 million homeless people and 1.5 billion people who live in inadequate housing. The United Nations member countries work to address this issue.

 

“SGBF supports the integration of affordable housing within urban developments, architectural design and use of materials that support occupants’ well-being, and minimizing construction waste through efficient methods… including Sustainable Development Goals” Faisal Alfadl, SGBF Chair Representative to the United Nations.

 

SGBF’s mission focuses on the built environment and resilience of city development practices including energy, water, infrastructure, resource and human experience integrated within affordable housing developments in order to minimize negative impacts to the natural planet, health of occupants, and happiness for citizens.

 

By 2050, two-thirds of the population are expected to live in urban areas. With this, homeless populations will likely continue to rise. Homelessness often affects women and girls the worst due to the violence and extreme poverty they experience. Older women are one of the fastest growing demographics in homelessness. SGBF promoting Sustainable Development Goal through its five tools of transformations namely saaf®️ being measured:

 

One nation introduced energy using technology to increase heat in bedrooms and kitchens in cold rural areas. They use clean energy with no interior pollution and improved stoves. Their goal is to build 1200 homes by 2021. We also support access to clean water for homeless individuals. 

On the resources side, some nations, affordable housing struggles with limited funding. They have experienced a decade of numerous natural disasters, unemployment, and corruption. The ability to contribute to development is limited by these factors.

It’s evident now that human experience by many public sector projects are not working. For example, one program reports that 50% of the homeless population has a disability, but the program is inaccessible with meager payments that don’t cover the cost of rent in the private marketplace. In another case, only 1/3 of the unemployed are covered by any type of insurance program.

In consultative status with the Economic Social Council SGBF addresses the practices of Green systems and sustainable development in the Arab world. The continuation of working with the Commission for Social Development, the advisory body responsible for the social development pillar of global development, to advance three resolutions to the Economic and Social Council for adoption. This includes the first-ever text on homelessness to be approved by a United Nations intergovernmental body. 

SGBF, a member of the NGO Major Group, and other stakeholders will join the next session of CSocD 2021, which focuses on “socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being for all.”