Taskforce on Affordable and Sustainable Housing (TASH)

• The global housing crisis is escalating, with 1.8 billion people lacking adequate housing.
• Meanwhile, the built environment sector contributes 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a major driver of climate change.
• The Taskforce on Affordable and Sustainable Housing (TASH), co-convened by IHRB, seeks to integrate human rights and climate considerations into housing investment and policy.
• Working collaboratively with investors, policymakers, civil society, and industry leaders, TASH will establish standards and accountability mechanisms for sustainable, affordable, and rights-based housing solutions.

Housing is both a human right and a critical component of sustainable development towards net zero.

But the financialisation of housing prioritises profit over people, leading to unaffordable housing, displacement, and environmental harm.

Governments and financial institutions shape housing policies and investments but often lack cohesive strategies that integrate human rights and climate imperatives.

This initiative follows in the footsteps of the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-Related Financial Disclosures, where TASH partners played a key role. 

TASH aims to address the above gaps by developing risk management frameworks, guidance, and standards of disclosure that can be embedded into business models and existing global sustainability reporting initiatives. 

Ultimately, we seek to transform global real estate investment to align with human rights and planetary boundaries.

TASH’s activities will include:

• Convening stakeholders to foster collaboration among investors, policymakers, civil society, and industry leaders and raise awareness of the connection between housing, human rights, and climate action.
• Mapping investor impacts, dependencies, and risks related to sustainable and affordable housing.
• Identifying accountability mechanisms to integrate human rights and climate standards into investment decisions.
• Developing standards of practice and disclosure requirements for investors, asset managers, and developers.
• Creating a risk management framework that aligns investment strategies with sustainability and human rights obligations.

The activities above will be underpinned by advocacy for stronger regulations and to embed the proposed disclosures into existing reporting frameworks (the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-Related Financial Disclosures, EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark).

• Investors and financial institutions looking to integrate social and environmental responsibility into their housing portfolios.
• Policymakers and regulators shaping housing policies and investment frameworks.
• Civil society organisations advocating for housing rights, climate action, and social equity.
• Industry stakeholders, including developers, architects, and urban planners, focused on sustainable and inclusive housing solutions.