Midterm Review of

Housing and Shelter Sector

22 – 23 June 2009, Baghdad

UN AgenciesUN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNDP, UN-ESCWA, UN-OCHA, IOM

NGOs (National/ International)ACTED, CHF, DRC, ICRC, IMC, InterSOS, IR, IRD, JEN, LIFE for Relief and Development, Mercy Hands, MRDS, NCA, NCCI, Qandil, and RI

Chaired byUN-HABITAT

Line MinistriesMinistry of Construction & Housing, Ministry of Municipalities & Public Works, Ministry of Planning & Development Cooperation, Ministry of Displacement & Migration.

Partnerships and Coordination

National priority or goals (NDS 2007- 2010)Target 9: Increase number of families possessing their own houses to 90%. Target 10: Reduce number of families living in huts and crowded houses to two

third. ICI Targets4.4.1 Delivering basic services. Design and carry out specific policies including reforms

and investments toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

4.4.1.5 Environment, Water/Sanitation and Housing. Undertake specific measures to ensure universal access to services (water and sanitation, housing, etc.).

4.4.2 Address the needs of IDPs, refugees and returnees while also enabling them to realize their potential as contributing members of the economic community.

UN Assistance StrategyTo contribute to the achievement of the goals defined in the National Development Strategy (NDS), International Compact with Iraq (ICI) benchmarks, and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Housing and Shelter Sector

Millennium Development Goals

MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability• Target 11: Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100

million slum dwellers by 2020 • Indicator 32: Proportion of population with access to secure land

tenure

The Shelter and Housing Sector Outcome Team assists the government in addressing MDG 7 target 11 directly and the remaining MDG goals indirectly

UN Assistance Strategy (cont.)

Sectoral Achievements & Contributions In selecting project beneficiaries, the Shelter Sector gives higher

priority to women-headed households.

1. Strengthened Policy and Institutional Environment for achieving ‘Adequate Housing for All’ Ongoing work on National Housing Policy and supporting legislation is addressing issues of gender, private sector development, environment protection etc.

2. Improved access of Vulnerable Families to Shelter

Addressed the needs of IDPs, refugees and returnees through shelter rehabilitation and the distribution of Non-Food Items (NFI).

• 16,576 families assisted with shelter rehabilitation,• 120,565 families (IDPs & Returnees) received NFI kits, and another 98,577

kits such as heaters and kerosene in camps and schools and winter clothing for children.

3. Generation of Local Employment

240,655 person-days of employment in the housing rehabilitation/construction.

4. Improved local training and knowledge management capacities towards housing sector reforms

Training & Knowledge Centre at the Ministry of Construction and Housing established and operationalized.

5. Technical assistance and capacity development • Housing and Land Policy, Legislation Development with focus on

reducing gender disparities and environmental degradation and increasing private sector role in housing supply – under development with technical assistance

• Housing Market Information System at national and sub-national levels

• Improved access to the National Housing Fund especially for poor and vulnerable households – recommendations provided by sector and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)

6. Three Governorate (Erbil, Babil and Najaf) level pilot initiatives to develop local strategies for housing and slum improvement.

Sectoral Achievements & Contributions (cont.)

Lessons Learned Good practices

Programmatic UN Coordination

Mechanisms: Intra sectoral coordination has proved very effective for planning interventions and optimising delivery capacity. Need to further strengthen inter-sector coordination for maximising intended development outcomes.

Operational

Partnerships with NGOs and Civil Society: Partnerships have not only helped to expand outreach but have also helped to strengthen capacities of local NGOs and align their useful contributions to the SOT programme.

Lessons Learned (cont.)Challenges and constraints

• Increased Returns: With the current perceptions of improved security in several parts of Iraq, in addition to a concerted move by the Government to encourage returns have resulted in increased homecoming of previously displaced families. With increased returns, new challenges especially on land, property issues have emerged.

• Access to Land: The lack of developable and serviced land; and centralized land management are the biggest constraints to housing development in Iraq today.

• Access to Development Resources: Despite acute needs in the housing sector, and shelter remaining top priority for most poor and displaced communities, the sector receives limited attention and negligible funding especially from the international community. GoI co-financing will be critical in future.

Risk mitigation and management

• Coordination with counterparts including with local authorities and application of decentralized land management mechanisms are crucial. Close coordination on the job is helping to enhance local ownership and also strengthen local capacities in planning and delivery.

Increased focus required on

• Improving land management systems.• Promoting private sector engagement in housing supply.• Increase resource availability to the sector both from the

international community and the Government and Local Authorities.

Key Recommendations