UNOPS and SHS working together
New partnerships bring cutting-edge technologies and innovative socially inclusive approaches to tackling shortfalls in affordable homes and energy
UNOPS and Sustainable Housing Solutions to work together across a range of projects for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Agreement to deliver 260,000+ high-quality affordable homes across Ghana, Kenya, India and the Caribbean, in projects with an estimated gross development value of more than $15 billion
- Projects will provide thousands of job opportunities for local communities
- Opportunities include projects in construction and renewable energy sectors
- Partnership is dedicated to large-scale solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals
A new agreement was signed between UNOPS and Sustainable Housing Solutions (SHS) Holdings – a leading provider of high-quality, affordable living solutions focused on resilience and sustainability. The innovative scheme will holistically address both the need to scale up the construction of homes and reduce the cost of mortgages so people in low and middle-income families can afford to buy their first home.
The partnership is the latest step in UNOPS Social Impact Investing Initiative (S3I), which aims to attract financing from the private sector to national development projects in emerging markets. The agreement aims to utilize proven innovative technologies to accelerate large-scale construction projects in some of the world’s most challenging environments. The technology is earthquake and hurricane resistant is compatible with the utilization of renewable energy and non-toxic insect-repellent properties. The projects will provide job opportunities and training programs for communities to develop skills in the construction of affordable homes.
UNOPS and SHS will begin to work on projects this year in Ghana, India, Kenya and the Caribbean, to help build more than 260,000 affordable homes. The concept aims to provide a ‘turn-key solution’ to reducing the current shortfall of tens of millions of decent dwellings. The new partnership will also explore new opportunities in the renewables market. UNOPS will work with MYRA-SHS Energy, a subsidiary of SHS which focuses on investments in renewable energy projects and associated infrastructure. Together they will support projects which increase clean and efficient energy supplies for more than one billion people living without access to electricity.
“The Sustainable Development Goals call for new and bold partnerships. We now bring together expertise, ideas and financing from a broad range of partners – including governments, the public sector and also the private sector. By working together, sharing the same goals, we can begin to make a real difference to people’s lives.”
UNOPS Executive Director, Grete Faremo
“We are proud to partner with UNOPS and work together alongside other world-class partners to resolve the significant housing crisis in the developing world and beyond. This is a unique legacy project that will also ensure positive environmental, social and economic impact, create thousands of jobs and boost livelihoods.”
SHS Holdings Director, Dr. Allen Zimbler
“Our partnership with UNOPS augments our existing efforts of creating and supporting a zero-carbon future. We look forward to creating and forging long-term partnerships with developers and sponsors working to de-risk projects and most importantly, to connect the last billion people to the grid.”
MYRA-SHS Energy Director, Kunal Parekh
Notes:
About UNOPS
UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. Read more about UNOPS: www.unops.org
About UNOPS Social Impact Investment Initiative (S3I)
UNOPS S3I seeks to de-risk and structure infrastructure investment projects in an effort to help attract financing from the private sector to national development agendas. Projects selected are subjected to a rigorous and comprehensive due diligence process that will ensure a positive environmental, social and economic impact, with financial returns for private sector investors.
About Sustainable Housing Solutions (SHS) Holdings
SHS Holdings bring innovative, eco-friendly housing, energy, water and health protection techniques and applies them at scale in the developing world. SHS works with governments, NGOs and the private sector to create safer and more sustainable environments for generations to come. With a management team that has over 50 years of combined industry experience in finance, housing, sustainable development and renewable energy, SHS is capable of delivering multiple worldwide multi-billion dollar projects. Read more about SHS: https://shsholdings.org/
Key partners in the SHS family include:
- MYRA Investments – which alongside SHS Energy, manages and invests in renewable energy power generation projects and associated infrastructure in emerging markets worldwide.
- Baupanel – a UK and Spain-based company, specializes in proprietary, prefabricated construction solutions. Baupanel building materials have been certified to meet quality standards by governments in Spain, Nicaragua, the Bahamas, Malaysia, and the UK, through London Underground.Last year, the Indian government also certified Baupanel materials as meeting strict seismic standards for use in earthquake zones.
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