Decent Housing for the Poor in the OIC Member Countries Guide

Decent Housing

Introduction

The Decent Housing for the Poor in the OIC Member Countries Guide is a first-draft presentation prepared by Prof. Ali Hepşen and Dr. Levent Sümer (Istanbul University – Boğaziçi University) for COMCE, dated April 2025. The document addresses one of the most pressing yet often overlooked global challenges: providing decent housing for the poor, specifically within the 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The guide is not merely an academic exercise; it is a strategic framework designed to examine the multidimensional aspects of housing deprivation and to develop actionable, culturally appropriate, and financially viable strategies. With an estimated 150 million homeless people globally and 1.6 billion living in inadequate housing conditions, the study underscores the urgent need for coordinated action. The OIC member countries, many of which face rapid urbanization, poverty, and fragile infrastructure, are particularly vulnerable. The guide aims to assess housing challenges, evaluate government interventions and financing models, identify best practices, strengthen policy frameworks, and build resilience against future housing shocks from climate change to economic volatility.

The Global Risks Affecting Housing

The presentation begins by situating the housing crisis within a broader landscape of global risks. These include regional conventional wars, trade wars, high inflation, rising debt levels, recession or stagflation, and growing income and wealth inequality. Such macroeconomic pressures directly impact the poor’s ability to access financing and exacerbate the imbalanced supply-demand dynamics in housing markets. Inflation erodes construction budgets, while supply chain disruptions delay projects. For the poor, these global risks translate into eviction, displacement, or forced movement into slums. The guide argues that any meaningful decent housing strategy must account for these external shocks, building resilience into both physical structures and financial instruments.

The Psychology of Homeownership

A unique contribution of the guide is its focus on the psychology of homeownership (citing Sümer, 2024). Homeownership is not just an economic transaction; it is deeply tied to identity, security, and mental well-being. For the poor, owning or having secure tenure in a decent home can break cycles of transience and social exclusion. The psychological benefits include improved self-esteem, better child development outcomes, and greater community engagement.

This dimension is often ignored in technocratic housing policies that focus only on units built or loans disbursed. The guide insists that decent housing strategies must be designed to foster a sense of belonging and permanence, which is especially relevant in OIC societies where the home is considered a place of rest and divine blessing.

Defining Decent Housing: A Multi-Agency Perspective

The document reviews how major international bodies define decent housing:

The guide synthesizes these definitions but goes further by proposing a framework tailored to OIC countries, integrating Islamic values and local contexts.

Decent Home Features: A Comprehensive Framework

The authors propose a four-pillar model of decent home features:

  1. Habitability (Safety and Basic Living Standards)

    • Structural integrity

    • Basic utilities (water, electricity)

    • Ventilation and lighting

    • Sanitation and hygiene

  2. Affordability (Economic Accessibility)

    • Cost-effectiveness

    • No financial hardship (housing costs do not force trade-offs with food or healthcare)

    • Subsidies and assistance

  3. Accessibility (Inclusivity and Physical Access)

    • Universal design for elderly and disabled persons

    • Proximity to services (schools, clinics, transport)

    • Age-friendly features

  4. Cultural Adequacy (Respect for Identity and Dignity)

    • Respect for local practices (e.g., privacy, gender segregation)

    • Community integration

    • Aesthetic and symbolic value

This framework ensures that housing is not merely a shelter but a dignified space that supports physical health, economic mobility, social inclusion, and cultural identity.

Islamic Perspective and OIC’s Framework

A distinctive and critical section of the guide explores the Islamic perspective on housing. It quotes Surah An-Nahl (16:80): “And Allah has made for you from your homes a place of rest…” and Surah An-Nur (24:27), which emphasizes the sanctity and privacy of the home. In Islam, housing is a divine blessing and a fundamental human right.

Within the OIC’s institutional framework, the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) promotes affordable housing through public-private partnerships (PPP), Islamic finance (Sukuk), and micro-housing schemes. The OIC encourages member states to adopt Sharia-compliant housing finance models such as rent-to-own, Murabaha (cost-plus financing), and Diminishing Musharakah (partnership). These models prohibit riba (interest), gharar (excessive uncertainty), and require investments in halal activities.

The guide explicitly lists Islamic housing finance mechanisms:

Beyond Islamic finance, the guide also highlights affordable housing models including PPPs, community-based participatory models, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), REIFs (Real Estate Investment Funds), and a hybrid model (REIFs-Pension Funds-Diminishing Musharakah), referred to as Sümer’s Model. This hybrid approach aims to mobilize pension funds and Islamic capital markets to scale up decent housing for the poor.

Methodology of the Guide

The guide employs a mixed-method approach:

This methodology ensures that the guide is evidence-based, comparative, and grounded in on-the-ground realities.

Summary of OIC and Non-OIC Housing Policies

The document provides a valuable summary of key policy examples for effective housing equity. These include:

These policies are drawn from both OIC and non-OIC countries, allowing for cross-learning.

Case Studies and Good Practices

The guide identifies several OIC country programs as benchmarks:

These case studies highlight varying approaches: from large-scale public housing (Türkiye) to slum eradication (Morocco) to rural affordable housing (Uzbekistan) and cooperative models.

Non-OIC global programs are also listed for comparative insight:

These examples serve as potential models that OIC countries might adapt, provided they are aligned with Islamic finance principles and local cultural contexts.

Guiding Principles and Policy Recommendations (Implied)

While the draft does not list final recommendations in bullet form, the structure points toward:

Call for Support and Future Directions

The presentation concludes with a clear appeal: “We Need Support from OIC Countries” in four key areas:

Final Assessment

This first draft of the Decent Housing for the Poor in the OIC Member Countries Guide is a robust, multidimensional framework. It successfully integrates global best practices with Islamic ethical finance, psychology of homeownership, and on-the-ground realities from diverse OIC member states. The emphasis on cultural adequacy and Sharia-compliant mechanisms makes it particularly relevant for OIC policymakers who often struggle to adapt Western housing models.

The guide is not just a technical document; it is a strategic roadmap. It acknowledges the scale of the crisis 150 million homeless, 1.6 billion inadequately housed while offering concrete, actionable pathways. If supported with financing, political will, and regional cooperation, the guide’s proposals could transform how OIC countries address housing poverty. The planned Morocco case study (as a separate presentation) will likely provide deeper insights into slum eradication and upgrading, which remains one of the most urgent challenges for decent housing for the poor in the Islamic world.

Also Read: 5 Green Building Techniques to Reduce Costs in Affordable Housing