Business leader and former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt, said on Wednesday that affordable housing has become a big problem in Pakistan. He added that the absence of sustainable financing mechanisms, regulatory reforms, and other pressing issues have worsened housing shortages in the country, which should be tackled immediately.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said in a statement issued today that apart from other problems, the rapid population growth rate is also playing its role in augmenting the problem.
He noted that unsustainable population growth threatens economic stability, resource allocation, essential service delivery, worsening housing shortages, and environmental degradation.
He added that housing is necessary because it offers shelter, builds socioeconomic stability, and promotes health, security, and family success. Poverty, bad health, and declining education are linked to population expansion and the absence of affordable housing.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said that without cheap, high-quality housing, low-income families often live in overcrowded, unsanitary, and unclean settings with limited access to clean water.
High housing expenses make it hard to afford nutritious food, which contributes to poor health, including malnutrition and stunting, which affects 40% of Pakistani children under five, he noted.
The business leader observed that low-income families are also forced to live in disadvantaged regions, limiting their access to better careers, education, healthcare, and future opportunities.
Children in inadequate housing confront tremendous challenges to breaking free from poverty.
He said climate change complicates providing affordable, weatherproof housing, so we should reorganize the housing sector and focus on disaster preparedness.
He said more robust and environmentally friendly housing is needed, as is improving drainage systems, dams, roadways, flood barriers, storm-water management infrastructure, and water delivery systems.
Mr. Butt said that we must focus on reducing our out-of-control population growth, which strains resources and infrastructure, to handle future concerns. Simultaneously, a new housing strategy must prioritize affordability, resilience, and sustainability to survive a large population and climate change.
