Urban Economy and Financing Shelter

This Guide to Municipal Finance describes the current issues in municipal finance and the ways in which local governments finance services and infrastructure. It sets out a basic economic framework that is used to evaluate the different aspects of municipal finance and that can be used by readers to evaluate other options. The Guide emphasizes that responsible, accountable, and efficient local governments need to raise their own revenues as much possible, adhere to an open and visible municipal budgetary process, and engage in transparent and prudent financial management.

This publication is an evaluation housing finance mechanisms in Republic of Korea. It details Republic of Korea’s experience with this type of financing and may provide other countries with insights that could inform their efforts to promote effective housing and housing finance systems. This publication covers consumer finance, mortgage finance, public housing finance, low-income housing finance, the affordability of housing finance, (residential) development finance, and residential and commercial mortgage securitization.
Organismo promotor:UNHABITAT
 

This report provides an overview of the Social Investment Funds and their projects which have been implemented in Asia, Latin and Central America, Eastern Europe and Africa since the 1980s. The report describes the key characteristics of these funds and highlights their relevant weaknesses – predominately related to their financial sustainability; and offering ways in which these issues could be ameliorated. The report also questions the extent to which affordable housing or access to housing for low income groups, could be part of the social fund projects.

This evaluation of social housing finance in Europe is placed in the context of the purpose of social housing, the sources of funds and the institutions that are used for provision. The effectiveness of social housing finance systems and the transferability of European approaches to other countries, particularly the developing world, are discussed. The analysis shows that an examination of the appropriate standards for decent housing and the barriers to market sector institutions meeting housing needs can usefully be investigated before alternative new institutions are created.

India is home to over 1.1 billion people. With about one in every sixth person in the world living in India, housing perforce assumes significant importance. Successive Indian governments have regarded housing as a primary need of the people. The need to provide affordable housing has been the reason behind State interventions in the sector. Housing policies, however, tended to be framed by the government from a social rather than economic perspective. Despite explicit recognition of the need for housing, dedicated programmes have only benefited from low public spending.