The ability to obtain decent, affordable housing is essential for development, security and freedom. Not only is shelter essential for survival, but our homes are central to our lives and the fundamental building block of a prosperous and civil society.
Yet today, there are an estimated 2.6 billion people who live in slums, shacks, shanties, favelas, and makeshift shelters. This vast and sundry collection of dwellings is euphemistically described as “inadequate housing” and is a global crisis primarily because so much of it is unnecessary.
UN-Habitat estimates, “that during the next 2 decades, the need for new and replacement urban housing is 35 million units annually.” In addition, the need in rural and peri-urban areas is even larger, bringing the total to 100 million annually or 273,973 housing units per day!
While this is indeed a dire assessment, there are solutions. Developing countries can and are creating scalable housing delivery systems that are responsive and efficient to the local housing needs. Also, the widespread adoption of Blockchain technology has the potential for transforming property rights and creating amazing new opportunities for the unbanked and working poor to build and own their own homes. All an unbanked person needs to get a loan on the home he’s building is the phone in his pocket and a link to the blockchain. This will not just revolutionize housing development on the planet, but will revolutionize how our real estate markets work.
Our passion is not just to assist refugees and displaced people with their need for shelter, but also their need to paying for it.
