The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have launched a critical new resource to address housing and urban development challenges across the region. The initiative, supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), aims to solve the pressing issue of scattered information.

The platform is named Housing and Urban Intelligence and is the first integrated data hub of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean. The platform consolidates information that is essential for understanding and managing regional housing shortages and urban growth.

The new resource brings together extensive data: over 3,000 indicators, 18 country profiles, and content gathered from more than 500 official sources. This centralised system allows governments, researchers, financiers, builders, and specialists to quickly identify needs, monitor progress, and design policies based on evidence.

The official launch took place in Bridgetown, Barbados, during the XXXIV General Assembly of the Forum of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI).

Diego Aulestia, head of the Human Settlements Unit at ECLAC, said: “For a year and a half, ECLAC and the IDB, with the support of the OECD, have curated information from CEPALSTAT and other relevant sources to facilitate decision-making by key actors in the housing and urban development sector in the region.”

This comprehensive approach allows decision-makers to access information without having to consult multiple sources. The platform is expected to expand its content over time.

IDB housing specialist Paloma Silva, who thanked the OECD for its support, said: “With this tool, which will continue to expand its content over time, we are responding to an urgent need in the region: a single information center that consolidates all the data necessary to understand and manage housing and urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

About the IDB Group

The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is the leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region’s public sector and enables the private sector; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which spurs entrepreneurial innovation.

About ECLAC

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations and supports the countries of the region in implementing major global agendas on economic, social, and environmental development. ECLAC provides a regional, evidence-based perspective to support decision-making; promotes the production and dissemination of comparable statistics, through Cepalstat; offers specialized technical assistance to governments; and fosters regional and international cooperation. Its work aims to advance a more sustainable, inclusive, and equality-centered development path across Latin America and the Caribbean.

About the OECD

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.