Reall pioneers the first open source data dashboard for affordable housing in Africa and Asia

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Reall is a pioneer and innovator with more than 30 years experience in the affordable housing sector. In April 2020, Reall launches an innovative data dashboard which geographically locates and evidences the impact of affordable housing by our partners throughout urban Africa and Asia.

Innovation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

In the context of the global Covid-19 crisis, the need for sustainable housing solutions at scale is more urgent than ever. At least 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to adequate housing, with most living in informal settlements which do nothing to mitigate the spread of contagious diseases.

To drive new solutions, Reall is launching an open source data platform which evidences the investable viability of affordable homes at an average cost of $9,200. Covid-19 reinforces the crucial importance of our mission of building a movement that improves the life chances of 100 million people in urban Africa and Asia. A safe and sanitary home with running water and energy is the future frontline defence against such pandemics.

Cutting edge

The dashboard is built with cutting-edge digital tools that communicates our impact at the global, national and project level. This includes detailed information from 12 countries on project finances, home completion costs, household demographics, loan repayment data, along with project narratives and images.

Reall is collating the data to show how unlocking quality housing for families living on low incomes is an engine for sustainable social and economic development in emerging markets.

For people living on low incomes, especially for women and marginalised groups, housing offers more than shelter, it represents health protection and the ownership of a financial, economic and social asset with the potential to break the poverty cycle for good.

Evidence of impact

There is no equivalent resource that gathers such extensive affordable housing data and evidence of impact in a single platform. Through this dashboard, Reall contributes towards resolving a systemic lack of information and knowledge on housing markets in Africa and Asia that has constrained the delivery of affordable housing at scale. Comprehensive data is urgently needed for proving the impact of affordable homes and to transform markets.

Our mission is to prove the commercial and environment viability of affordable housing and crowd in new investment and resources into this untapped $17 trillion marketplace. Through this dashboard we will harness data from our partners and projects to mobilise new stakeholders, improve best practice, unlock new investment and drive more evidence-based policy making throughout the global development ecosystem.

Market intelligence

As Reall further expands its evidence gathering work, new indicators and datasets will be incorporated into the dashboard. This will include wider studies, market intelligence and data on financial inclusion and systemic challenges. All this evidence will fundamentally demonstrate the commercial viability and investable proposition represented by affordable housing targeted at the bottom 40% of the income pyramid in emerging markets.

Reall’s dashboard adds new depth to the global understanding of affordable housing, aligning with the initiatives of other key leaders and collaborators. This includes the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF), who share our goal to transform markets and mobilise investment; the World Bank, that promotes access to transparent development information through its Open Data Initiative; and UN-Habitat, responsible for gathering and reporting on global housing and urban indicators, amongst other important players.

Accelerate innovative solutions

As we enter a Decade of Action for the SDGs, there is increasing urgency to accelerate innovative solutions to global problems. The escalating housing crisis in Africa and Asia is one of humanity’s greatest challenges. Resolving this challenge is a unique opportunity to drive macroeconomic growth, stimulate job creation and financial sector deepening, mitigate climate change, and enable billions of people to escape the poverty cycle. At Reall, supported by our data, we see the affordable home as a gateway to answering 16 of the 17 SDGs.

Making urbanisation work for all

Producing, synthesising and catalysing new data and research is essential to realising these opportunities, which is why evidence generation and dissemination underpins all Reall’s housing construction and wider global brokering engagements.

As an open source interface, we encourage innovators, investors, researchers and specialists to access the data and inform their own analyses. Our aim is to create a movement to transform housing markets and make urbanisation work for all.