MENA governments need to engage the private sector to help address the growing crisis of affordable housing, says Ernst & Young

According to Ernst & Young’s report ‘The growing crisis of affordable housing in MENA,’ regional governments need to engage the private sector to help address the growing crisis of affordable housing. Housing affordability lies at the intersection of supply side (more homes) and demand side (more financing), and to tackle the growing crisis, MENA governments need to engage the private sector on both sides simultaneously. Cities will not create quality affordable housing if the task is left purely to the private market. It is vital that MENA governments take charge of land allocation and make sure that some urban land is reserved for that purpose.