Over 200 entries from all over the world were submitted for the World Habitat Awards 2013.

The World Habitat Awards were established in 1985 by the Building and Social Housing Foundation as part of its contribution to the United Nations International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. Two awards are given annually to projects that provide practical and innovative solutions to current housing needs and problems. Every year an award of £10,000 is presented to each of the two winners at the World Urban Forum (even years) and UN-Habitat Governing Council (odd years).

These ten entries were innovative and demonstrated significant impact within their own communities. The winners were announced at the 2013 World Habitat Day celebrations in Medellín, Colombia on Monday 7th October.

The winners of the 2013 World Habitat Awards are:

• Hebron Old City Rehabilitation Programme – Palestine 
  Restoration and reuse of historic buildings, regenerating urban infrastructure and supporting local economic development to reverse depopulation.
  

• The 100,000 Homes Campaign - USA
  Scaling up a 'housing-first' approach to provide accommodation for thousands of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people across the USA.

 

Here are eight outstanding finalists:

• Community Management of Urban Infrastructure – Argentina
  Promoting social inclusion, improving housing conditions and connecting communities to basic services.

• The Struggle for Housing in Central Areas – Brazil
  Community-led mutual aid housing in city centre areas, addressing issues of displacement and gentrification.

• Cooperative Programme for the Development of Urban Neighbourhoods – Cameroon
  Building a culture of public participation in urban development through participatory budgeting and cooperative housing processes.

• CCOC Beaver Barracks Redevelopment – Canada
  High performance energy-efficient building providing mixed use, affordable and inclusive rental housing in downtown Ottawa.

• Milton Park Community – Canada
  Mobilisation to protect residents from evictions, halt gentrification and provide permanently affordable housing in Montreal.

• Renewable Energy for Farmers – China
  Innovative use of carbon funding for long-term maintenance of biodigestors as a source of clean energy for rural
  farms.

• 30 Years of Planning Continuity in Freiburg – Germany
  Integrated planning approach over 30 years makes Freiburg an exemplar of sustainable living in a compact, car-light city.

• Alliances for Building Capacities and Options for the Urban Poor – India
  Community-led approach to affordable housing solutions and infrastructure, including advocacy with government.

           

 

The 2013 World Habitat Awards will be presented to the winners at the World Urban Forum, which will be hosted by UN-Habitat in Medellín, Colombia from 5-11 April 2014. For further information on the World Urban Forum, please click here.