Global housing crisis deepens despite policy gains - UN warns

UN-Habitat warns that the global housing crisis is worsening amid rapid urbanisation and slow policy implementation. [File Courtesy]

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has noted the slow pace at which countries are addressing the housing crisis amid changing macro-economic conditions characterised by fuel-driven inflation.         

This housing challenge has been described as a systemic global crisis in the gathering that was attended by President William Ruto, together with Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and Principal Secretary, State Department for Housing and Urban Development Charles Hinga.     

At the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, the UN pointed out the gap between policy formulation and implementation in the housing and urbanisation challenge, which affects millions of people across the world.

While opening the forum on Monday, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach noted that nearly three billion people are facing housing inadequacy. About one billion people are in informal settlements and slums, while over three billion are facing homelessness.

She said this is not a set of isolated challenges. “It is a systemic global crisis,” said Rossbach. “These challenges are no longer sectoral or incremental; they reflect structural failures in how cities are financed, planned and governed.”

She said the scale and urgency of today’s urban challenges demand faster, more coordinated, and more inclusive action. She said housing must be placed at the heart of an integrated urban solution linking land, basic services, climate action, mobility, and economic opportunity.

Rossbach said that the forum, which is the largest ever by attendance to be organised by UN-Habitat, is a moment to reset how the world views urbanisation through the lens of human rights and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG11), to make cities resilient and sustainable.

She pointed out that the UN has been a key player in developing stronger policies in collaboration with governments, which have led to more effective institutions, scale and have been impactful. Some progress has been noted as a result of solutions targeted to upgrade informal settlements, expand services and strengthen climate resilience.

“Despite growing global consensus, the gap between policy ambition and implementation remains wide,” she said. “The challenge is not the absence of solution: It is the speed and the scale of their implementation.”

The WUF13 is said to have attracted over 45,000 participants from 182 countries, among them Heads of State and Government, ministers in charge of the sector, the private sector and civil societies. The theme is housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.

 Rossbach said the meeting is meant to strengthen political engagement, including administrative dialogue that would help shape the next phase of the new urban agenda.

On Sunday, WUF13 held a ministerial discussion on the new urban agenda to assess its progress 10 years after adoption.

Housing shortage, post-conflict recovery and rapid urbanisation are some of the issues discussed in the meeting.

Rossbach says it was to assess: What has worked, what has blocked progress and what partnerships, policies and investments are needed for the New Urban Agenda 2036.

The ministers held three high-level discussions where they exchanged ideas on practical pathways to strengthen implementation of the New Urban Agenda and accelerate progress in the decade ahead. The first focused on housing for social inclusion and ending poverty, highlighting how adequate housing can help break cycles of inequality and exclusion, while the second touched on housing for urban prosperity and opportunities for all, focusing on housing as a driver of economic growth and human development. In this, ministers explored how housing systems can support employment, strengthen productivity and expand opportunities, particularly for women, youth and vulnerable groups.

The third panel discussion examined housing for environmentally sustainable and resilient urban development, addressing the growing intersection between housing and climate action. The discussions explored approaches to strengthen social and public housing systems, improve conditions in informal settlements, and ensure that housing policies reach groups most at risk of being left behind.

 The ministers also considered how changing global realities are creating new pressures.

 “Climate-related disasters, displacement, rising housing costs and geopolitical instability are affecting housing systems worldwide, requiring stronger policy responses and long-term investment,” reads an update from the meeting.