UN Secretary-General report presents measures to address homelessness

On 28 September, UN-Habitat, on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, presented to the General Assembly the results of the progress report on Inclusive Policies and Programmes to Address Homelessness.

The report was developed under the leadership of UN-Habitat following the adoption of the General Assembly resolution on “Inclusive policies and programmes to address homelessness, including in the aftermath of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)” in 2021, with support from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and in collaboration with a core group of United Nations agencies and partners including the Economic Commissions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, as well as the Working Group to End Homelessness and regional practitioners.

Through data collection and expert consultations, the report provides valuable insights into the complex intersections between homelessness, poverty, inequality, housing inadequacy, and social exclusion. The report’s recommendations serve as a strategic roadmap – offering actionable measures to address homelessness and equitable access to adequate housing comprehensively, as well as advancing the discourse on homelessness through partnerships and data-driven analysis.

The report highlights the need for a strong and inclusive definition of homelessness to inform and monitor the effectiveness of policies and action, calls for inclusive and human rights-based policies and strategies, recommends a strengthened focus on universal and targeted prevention – to both minimise the risk of homelessness through housing and social policies and address the specific needs of at-risk groups – and scale up intergovernmental efforts.

The report marks a significant milestone in the journey towards ensuring that no one is left behind as global efforts are made to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda. While homelessness remains a complex issue, it can be solved using a people-centred, integrated, preventive, and evidence-based approach.

Halfway to 2030 yet nowhere near achieving the SDGs, and heading to the Summit of the Future in September 2024, the report makes explicit the link between homelessness, poverty, inequality, urbanization, and social protection systems.

UN-Habitat and the United Nations system remain committed to supporting governments in advancing the recommendations of the report both bilaterally and through the intergovernmental working group on housing, called for in the United Nations Habitat Assembly resolution on adequate housing for all.

Read the full report here.