Our Approach
Systems thinking for sustainable change
Affordable housing is a critical part of social, economic, and political systems. Thus, creating it in a way that helps a community thrive requires more than bricks, mortar, and concrete. At AHI we appreciate that affordable housing is shaped by interconnected factors—national policies, market conditions, land use, cultural dynamics, and more—that cannot be solved in isolation. Therefore, we apply the biological concept of an ecosystem - that everything is interconnected - to the economic and housing markets.
AHI’s Ecosystem Assessments, using our proprietary Housing Value Chain Framework, emphasize the critical role of systems thinking in addressing housing challenges. This approach enables us to align diverse stakeholders and bridge silos, leading to stronger and more resilient communities, with affordable housing at their core.
Engaging with complexity
At AHI we engage with the complexity of housing markets to design solutions that are technically sound as well as socially and economically sustainable.
Our goal is to gain a holistic, yet granular, understanding of a country or city’s housing ecosystem and the ways in which that ecosystem is enabling or disabling the production of affordable housing. We then use that understanding to map out the overall housing development processes, identify systemic gaps or blockages, identify and work with key stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, uncover root causes, and easily compare across countries and housing environments.
Our Housing Value Chain Framework allows us to go beyond a classic market study, enabling us to design practical interventions that impact the entire ecosystem, transform housing markets, strengthen resilience, and expand lasting access to affordable housing worldwide.
Local partnerships as a foundation
AHI builds local partnerships by engaging directly with individuals, companies, community organizations, and governments to co-create housing solutions rooted in local realities. We prioritize listening to all stakeholders, respecting cultural contexts, and aligning global best practices with local priorities. We foster deep, respectful partnerships because it builds trust, strengthens capacities, and ensures that housing solutions reflect local needs rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all model. With partnerships across both the public and private sectors, we synthesize our international expertise into locally adapted strategies that strengthen housing ecosystems and help communities thrive around the world.