URB-B.02.C - Affordability Target Progress Reporting
Does the company report progress against its targets for affordability over time?
About the data
The WBA Urban Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to shape sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban environments, tracking how companies address essential urban needs while respecting planetary boundaries across dimensions including decent work and human rights, environmental and climate impacts, social inclusion, and sustainability leadership. The 2026 edition assessed 300 companies across four key industries shaping urban environments: real estate, construction and engineering, transport, and utilities. Companies were scored on 24 urban-specific indicators plus 18 core social indicators, spanning four measurement areas: sustainable governance, inclusive cities, healthy cities, and climate change and resilient cities. The benchmark is designed to incentivise the private sector to take adequate responsibility for its role in ensuring affordable, safe and inclusive urban environments for all. More information can be found here.
Methodology
Out of the 92 major metropolitan housing markets globally, 79 have become severely
unaffordable (Urban Reform Institute & Frontier Centre for Public Policy, 2022). With basic services
being privatised in many cities, and large real estate companies dominating local property markets,
the private sector has a crucial role to play in addressing the global cost-of-living crisis. Transport and
utility companies can offer tiered pricing systems, delayed payment options or subsidised rates to
make their services more affordable to low-income users, while real estate and construction
companies can allocate a portion of their portfolio to affordable housing through mixed-use
developments or dedicated projects. Such initiatives can complement the efforts that governments
are making through subsidy programmes and regulations.
Research Guidance
To meet this element, the company must demonstrate year-on-year, quantitative improvements in quality/reliability metrics over the previous three years.
The company does not need to have a target to meet this element, as long as measurable progress is disclosed over time.
We do not determine the rate of improvement, but the gap must be consistently closing over time rather than fluctuating annually. Increasing one year then decreasing the next is not accepted as consistent progress, unless the company specifies reasoning for the anomaly.
If the company discloses more than one metric of affordability, it must report consistent progress in at least one metric without regressing in the others (they must stay constant as a minimum).
In outstanding cases where a company has a target that it will clearly not meet, this element may be unmet. These will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
unaffordable (Urban Reform Institute & Frontier Centre for Public Policy, 2022). With basic services
being privatised in many cities, and large real estate companies dominating local property markets,
the private sector has a crucial role to play in addressing the global cost-of-living crisis. Transport and
utility companies can offer tiered pricing systems, delayed payment options or subsidised rates to
make their services more affordable to low-income users, while real estate and construction
companies can allocate a portion of their portfolio to affordable housing through mixed-use
developments or dedicated projects. Such initiatives can complement the efforts that governments
are making through subsidy programmes and regulations.
Research Guidance
To meet this element, the company must demonstrate year-on-year, quantitative improvements in quality/reliability metrics over the previous three years.
The company does not need to have a target to meet this element, as long as measurable progress is disclosed over time.
We do not determine the rate of improvement, but the gap must be consistently closing over time rather than fluctuating annually. Increasing one year then decreasing the next is not accepted as consistent progress, unless the company specifies reasoning for the anomaly.
If the company discloses more than one metric of affordability, it must report consistent progress in at least one metric without regressing in the others (they must stay constant as a minimum).
In outstanding cases where a company has a target that it will clearly not meet, this element may be unmet. These will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report