Maimunah Sharif: Impossible to solve housing crisis without government involvement

Effectively overcoming the housing crisis is impossible without active government regulation, a system of incentives, and a partnership model between government, business, and society, former Kuala Lumpur Mayor and former UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said at WUF13 in Baku, Report informs.

She stated that providing the population with sustainable housing cannot be entirely dependent on the private sector.

"Governments are obliged to develop strategic principles and a system of incentives," Sharif noted.

She emphasized that one effective mechanism is a partnership between government, business, and society, in which authorities provide land to attract private investment.

According to the speaker, the successful implementation of such programs requires active public participation and ongoing monitoring.

"To achieve results, we need leadership from our leaders," she added.

Sharif also expressed the opinion that urban planners, engineers, and architects must work together to address the housing problem "as a unified team."