Reall’s affordable housing delivers life-changing water and sanitation

For Stockholm International Water Institute’s (SIWI) World Water Week 2021, Reall highlights how our affordable housing with indoor bathrooms and clean water has the power to transform the lives of millions – restoring dignity, boosting health and wellbeing, and driving gender parity in urban Africa and Asia.

Watch Andrew Maclean from Reall highlight our partnership with Swedish International Development Coorporation Agency (Sida) to deliver water access and sanitation.

The global water crisis is alarming. With 2.1 billion people worldwide without access to a clean water supply in their home, we need to take action urgently if we’re to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Unlocking access to clean water

• Over 1.1 million people in Africa and Asia have access to better sanitation through Reall’s affordable housing
• Reall has built over 97,000 in-house toilets – improving the lives of over half a million people
• Reall has pioneered innovative decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) and sanitation for low-income households in Kenya, Nepal, and Zimbabwe

The impacts are life-changing

• Health improvement – Access to safe water leads to improved health, dignity, social status, cleanliness and overall wellbeing of families
• Gender parity – Indoor water frees women and girls from hours spent collecting water for the family, allowing time for business ventures, learning or childcare. Access to sanitation, allows girls to manage their period hygienically and with dignity, reducing the likelihood of missing school
• Pandemic resilience – Widespread access to water prevents an estimated 10% of global disease and handwashing provides a frontline defence against future pandemics like Covid-19
• Economic growth – Illness, due to lack of sanitation, causes an estimated cost of up to 5% of GDP. According to the World Health Organisation, every £1 spent on sanitation has a return of £5.50 from increased productivity and lower health care costs
• Protection – Decent, affordable homes with toilets mean women and girls don’t have to use outdoor public restrooms. In India, 30% of reported sexual assaults happen when women and girls go outside to use the toilet

Reall is proud to partner with the Swedish International Development Coorporation Agency (Sida)

Reall believe providing decent, affordable housing with a water supply and sanitation is one of humanities greatest opportunities. That’s why it’s not just a house, it’s a lifesaving, health-improving, GDP boosting, gender empowering, engine of human potential.

Read more

• Read our report on Unlocking sustainable water, sanitation and services through affordable housing
• Make an impact by investing in our work
• Find out about Reall’s affordable housing projects on our Data Dashboard
• Sign up for Reall Talk – our digital newsletter