Mumbai 20^th November, 2021: Safe and affordable housing is critical to breaking barriers to a better, healthier and more financially stable lives. To stress on addressing the underlying housing deficit and proposing recommendations for facilitating inclusive growth through innovative housing solutions, Habitat for Humanity India is organising the 8^th edition of India Housing Forum on 23^rd and 24^th November 2021.

Themed around ‘Reshaping Inclusive Growth Through Housing’ the two-day virtual conference will focus on building collaborations to impact affordable housing sector in India and contribute to the Government of India’s vision of ‘Housing for All’. It also aims to recognize and act on the importance of housing as a driver of inclusion, resilience and sustainability in human settlements, and promote leaders and sector players in innovative and high impact housing initiatives through the sharing of best practices.

Some of the main speakers of the India Housing Forum include Shri. Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Dr. Shailesh Agrawal, Executive Director, Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council and Dr. Rajan Samuel, Managing Director of Habitat for Humanity India.

“Since its inception, the India Housing Forum has facilitated multi-stakeholder dialogues and partnerships on a common platform to address the challenges of affordable housing. This year the focus is on how affordable and sustainable housing solutions can bring an inclusive future for vulnerable and low-income families through greener, safer, and more resilient approaches. Housing has the potential to create economic growth and recovery especially in a post pandemic world. Our goal is to continue to make a significant contribution to honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Housing for All vision to address India’s housing deficit,” said Dr Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India.

The health and economic impacts of the ongoing pandemic has exacerbated the housing crisis and made clear how crucial having safe, secure, and adequate housing is to one’s health, wellbeing, and even survival. India Housing Forum brings together industry leaders, innovators, policy experts, and various stakeholders to inspire a new vision for more inclusive, healthy, and resilient communities through sessions on topics such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, health and housing, role of housing in mitigating the impact of climate change, innovative housing technology, financing affordable housing and the role of CSR (corporate social responsibility) in creating a socio-economic revival post the pandemic.

The role of housing and the construction sector is pivotal for the fast-paced recovery of India’s economy. Better housing conditions improve the coping mechanism of marginalised populations in dealing with socioeconomic shocks and reduce inequalities among them. The importance of housing as a driver of economic growth and sustainability will be one of the central discussions during the Forum.

The India Housing Forum which has been attended by over 1200 participants since its inaugural edition in 2015 is supported by ESAF Small Finance Bank and Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter.

The forum will adopt a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.