Towards a new and combined urban agenda on labour markets and housing markets

Housing and labour markets have mutual impacts and together they can make or break the development of a city.

Housing quality affects the health and productivity of workers. Location influences the accessibility to workplaces and may also act as a stigma. Conversely, housing affordability depends on income and the stability (or not) of employment. Housing frequently constitutes a major part of households’ wealth and earned income from employment is an important determinant of house prices.

There is a wealth of knowledge on housing markets and related policies. The same on labour markets. Yet, the combined knowledge on both markets is still limited. It is preponderantly focused on developed countries, with special attention to formal housing and wage work. This does not capture the diversity of both markets, especially in developing countries, limiting the reach of policy-making.

Many cities have a complex housing market (with formal, informal, customary and/or communal elements) and a complex labour market (formal and informal employment, self-employment, casual and temporary jobs). Also, the use of housing as an asset for income generation, the large number of wage workers engaged in housing construction as well as the increase in home-based work add complexity to the housing-labour market nexus.

The session will contribute to a better understanding of the multiple facets of the nexus, its implications and an agenda for action. It will address the strategic link between SDGs 8 and 11 and how they can be connected in the New Urban Agenda.

The speakers come from different walks of life including international agencies, academia, public and private institutions. Diverse if not divergent views are expected. The aim is to stimulate debate and advance the frontier of knowledge and policy-making approaches. The session will be interactive. The audience will be encouraged to play a substantive role.