Inclusive housing programmes to stimulate the economy and improve health outcomes after COVID-19

Abstract

Countries around the globe have experienced the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many countries in the Global South, interventions in the housing sector can support public and private investments and have large economic stimulus effects. This article develops a series of principles that would ensure investments in housing not only serve as economic stimuli but deliver the basis for long-term improvement in housing conditions and overall community wellbeing and health by being inclusive and sustainable. This article proposes five principles and illustrates how to apply them in core areas that would typically be included in a housing stimulus package: 1) focus on supporting housing for the underserved middle- and lower-income households; 2) inclusion of both ownership and rental markets; 3) inclusion of both formal and informal housing markets; 4) incorporating communities; and 5) avoiding long-term negative effects on housing and housing finance market development.