Maike Salize: Affordable housing crisis driving decline in quality of life

The affordable housing crisis and rising rental costs have become major factors behind the decline in quality of life in United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) member countries, Maike Salize, Junior Economic Affairs Officer at the UNECE, said during an event held within the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

She explained that the UNECE region stretches from Vancouver to Vladivostok, making it difficult to define quality of life uniformly due to significant differences in urban conditions.

Salize emphasized that affordable and sustainable housing remains one of the key challenges: "In some cities, households spend up to 40% of their income on housing, which has effectively created a housing crisis in the region. Such costs reduce families' ability to spend on education, food, leisure, and savings, directly lowering quality of life. Lack of affordable housing also forces people to move to suburban areas, increasing commuting times."

The official added that another major challenge is population aging, which affects demand for accessible infrastructure and adapted housing, while also reshaping requirements for urban services across different stages of life.