Housing is fundamental to life, security and wellbeing as well as tackling climate change and working towards a zero-carbon future. It also remains a key site of gender and intersectional inequality, with design that does not accommodate diverse needs or care responsibilities, with mortgages and rents out of reach, and a suburban ideal that requires a car for daily living and can isolate women and children in the home.
This paper offers seven recommendations to achieve a gender inclusive and sustainable housing sector:
- Participatory planning for the future: centring women and others traditionally marginalised
- Making internal form and design responsive to care work, gender and diversity
- Improving the materials and fabric of our buildings
- Developing gender-, community- and climate-responsive site design
- Improving connection to town, city and region
- Expanding who builds, installs and maintains housing to non-traditional workers
- Implementing a right to safe, decent and affordable housing following the most recent UN guidelines, where housing as a home is prioritised over housing as an asset
