The global housing crisis is on the global discussion table at a UN forum in Azerbaijan

Participants in today’s ministerial meeting focused on how to make cities safer and more resilient, and provide affordable housing.

The discussions are based on the New Urban Agenda, adopted ten years ago at the third Human Settlements (Habitat) Conference in Quito, Ecuador, which sets out global principles for urban development until 2036.

In her opening of the ministerial meeting, Annaclaudia Rosbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (Habitat), said that 2026 should not be just a moment of assessment, but “a year of course correction.” She stressed the need to review successful policies and approaches that must be reconsidered.

Over the past decade, many countries have made remarkable progress. About 160 countries have adopted or are developing national urban policies, while more than two-thirds of countries have launched affordable housing programmes.

However, Rosbach cautioned that these efforts are still insufficient. She said: “The housing sector shows this very clearly. Today, more than 1.1 billion people live in slums or informal settlements around the world.”

According to the United Nations, more than 120 million people were born or moved into slums and informal settlements over the past decade.

Fighting poverty through housing

The discussions were divided into three main themes. The first session focused on housing as a tool for social inclusion and poverty reduction. Participants discussed expanding social housing programs, developing informal settlements, and protecting vulnerable population groups.

Particular attention was paid to countries recovering from the scourge of war and destruction. In an interview with UN News, Bashar Al-Sabai, Mayor of the Syrian city of Homs, spoke about the massive damage that the city suffered during the years of conflict and the enormous challenges it faces today.

And he said: “400,000 people returned to the city after the war, settling in the badly damaged neighborhoods. “It is very difficult to find solutions to all these problems, from solid waste and infrastructure to electricity.”

According to the mayor of Homs, the city urgently needs not only ideas and expertise, but also funding to rehabilitate basic services and infrastructure.

Housing as an economic engine

The second session addressed housing as an engine of economic growth. Participants noted that the housing sector can contribute to creating job opportunities, improving productivity, and expanding opportunities for women and youth.

Speakers stressed the need for an integrated approach. Rosbach said: “It is a land issue, an infrastructure issue, a financing issue, governance issue, climate action and human rights issue.”

Climate change and cities

The third session focused on the relationship between housing and climate change. UN officials stressed that the construction sector remains one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, and that millions of residents living in unsafe housing are among the first to be affected by floods, heat waves and other climate-related disasters.

The ministers discussed the issue of low-carbon construction, flexible urban planning, and developing slums in line with climate change. According to Rossbach, more than 80% of the world’s cities are witnessing a significant rise in temperatures today compared to what they were two decades ago.

The first day of the forum witnessed continuous heavy rains in Baku, forcing the city authorities to take urgent measures to drain water from flooded roads.

Local residents pointed out that such weather phenomena were rare in Azerbaijan just a few years ago, especially at this time of the year.

The ministerial meeting in Baku is expected to contribute to the preparations for the UN General Assembly session in July, which will formally review progress made in implementing the New Urban Agenda.

Other activities on the first day

In conjunction with the ministerial meetings, a series of thematic meetings were launched in Baku, bringing together representatives of governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.

These meetings focused on a variety of issues, including women and youth issues and the role of civil society organizations and private companies in urban development.

Lance Jay Brown, the New York-based architect and founder of the Consortium for Sustainable Urban Development, and one of the delegates participating in these meetings, spoke with UN News and said that the housing crisis is no longer limited to poor countries only.

He added“The housing crisis is like a runaway train, and we are still suffering from its consequences.”

Brown noted that the world’s population has nearly quadrupled in his lifetime, while securing affordable housing for low-income communities has become more difficult.

And he said“The matter is not limited to just a roof that protects one from the rain, but also includes (providing) education, transportation, and health.” He pointed to the United States “as a stark example of the scale of the crisis.”

He added: “We have hundreds of thousands of homeless people on the streets of the United States, and we are considered wealthy. In New York, it feels like a real crisis now.”

Brown expressed his hope that the discussions and decisions that will be taken in Baku will contribute to finding practical solutions to the global housing crisis.

Rosbach, head of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, told participants at the opening of the meetings: “Use these meetings to build coalitions that will last beyond this week. Share your personal experiences. Bring together finance, policy, and implementation.”