Overview
Everyone has a fundamental human right to housing, which ensures access to a safe, secure, habitable, and affordable home. UN-Habitat places affordability, sustainability and inclusiveness of the housing sector at the core of the urbanization process to ensure access to adequate housing for all. Housing is more than just a roof; it’s the opportunity for better lives and a better future.
The Challenge
By 2030, UN-Habitat estimates that 3 billion people, about 40 per cent of the world’s population, will need access to adequate housing. This translates into a demand for 96,000 new affordable and accessible housing units every day. Additionally, an estimated 100 million people worldwide are homeless and one in four people live in harmful conditions that to their health, safety and prosperity.
Access to housing is a precondition for access to employment, education, health, and social services. In order to address the current housing challenges, all levels of government should put housing at the centre of urban policies by placing people and human rights at the forefront of urban sustainable development.
Learn more about the Housing For All campaign and housing rights.
Impact
News and Stories
Featured Stories & Videos
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The right to adequate housing in West Darfur
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Meeting stresses on spatial planning in Kenya’s refugee settlements
Featured Stories & Videos
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Palestinian refugees return to their homes in refugee camp in Syria after more than ten years
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UN-Habitat strengthens urban recovery efforts in Beirut, two years after the devastating port explosion
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UN-Habitat, IICO partner to improve living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
Our Work
Programme
Housing Rights
Donors and partners
UN-Habitat supports all levels of government in formulating and implementing progressive sector reforms and policies that contribute to the creation of inclusive and affordable housing for all. We provide our expertise to support the sound analysis of the housing sector and, in particular, the review of key legislation affecting affordable housing provision.
Since 2002, UN-Habitat works with OHCHR on the United Nations Housing Rights Program (UNHRP), which supports governments, civil society and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in advancing the right to adequate housing. UN-Habitat also collaborate closely with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing on forced eviction prevention and housing rights advocacy.
Together with UN Environment, UN-Habitat also works on the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC) which aims to promote resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation efforts, and the shift to SCP patterns in the buildings and construction sector by improving knowledge of sustainable construction, develop sustainable solutions, and share that knowledge and those solutions globally.