Affordable housing creates safe & secure communities for women

To mark United Nations International Women’s Day, Reall shares key learnings and recommendations on how, for women and girls, safe and secure affordable housing communities become more than a place to live  “ they are a place to thrive.

Watch Estelle Robinson, Reall s Policy and Influence Manager, introduce the Safety and Security in Affordable Housing Communities for Women and Girls paper.

Challenges women face – key learnings

• In emerging markets, women typically earn less and have less job security as they are more likely to work in informal sectors
• Without access to public transport, or even decent street lighting, women can be confined to their homes
• Social and economic restrictions tie women and girls closer to the home
• Women are at a high risk of gender-based violence – both in the home and in public

How affordable housing increases safety and security for women

The paper details that 70% of women feel safer and more secure in Reall’s affordable housing communities, due to:

• In-home access to basic services like clean energy, water and sanitation
• Improved health and wellbeing
• Living without fear of sudden rent increases or eviction
• Safe communities which mean women and girls can leave their homes without the fear of being attacked
• Effective planning, which can improve family relations and reduce the risk of violence
• Access to end-user financing which gives women a foothold in the formal economy and greater financial inclusion, as well as the chance to use housing as an asset and increase financial stability
• Climate-smart innovations that support healthier environments and reduce the vulnerability of low-income households to environmental threats

Read now: Reall s Safety and Security in Affordable Housing Communities for Women and Girls paper (PDF, 3 pages, 1MB)

Read more

• Read the real life stories of women who have had their lives transformed through Reall’s affordable housing
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