Published on: 2026-07-09
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 9, 2026 Sustainable Development Goals
If the global housing crisis is not overcome, the world will not be able to achieve the 11th Sustainable Development Goal, related to creating safe, resilient, and environmentally protected cities. This conclusion was reached by the authors of the Global Report on SDG-11, presented at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
According to a report prepared by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) together with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the World Health Organization, and other UN system agencies, today more than three billion people worldwide lack access to adequate housing. Of these, over 1.1 billion live in informal settlements and slums.
UN-Habitat Executive Director Anakalaudia Rossbach emphasized that ensuring people have decent housing and transforming slums is one of the main indicators of how successfully the global community is progressing towards achieving SDG 11.
“There are only four years left until 2030, and the implementation of the New Urban Development Program has already reached its midpoint. Gradual progress is not enough – urgent action is required,” she said.
There is progress after all
The authors of the report note that despite delays from the planned timelines, certain progress has been made in recent years. For instance, in 126 countries, the share of urban residents with access to public transport increased from 53.2 percent in 2020 to 61.5 percent in 2025.
In addition, in a number of countries the rates of development of new urban areas have come to more closely match population growth, indicating an improvement in urban planning. The report’s authors also noted that in regions such as Australia, New Zealand, and North Africa, more than 90 percent of the population is covered by solid waste collection systems.
Urbanization outpaces progress
However, as emphasized in the report, these achievements are insufficient: four out of ten city residents still lack access to public transportation. At the same time, housing costs are also rising. For instance, half of the households worldwide spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent.
Natural disasters remain an additional risk factor. On average, from 2015 to 2024, they affected about 123 million people annually, and their frequency continues to increase.
Housing as the foundation of sustainable development
The report emphasizes that housing should be considered not as an outcome of sustainable development, but as its foundation. Investments in affordable housing, upgrading informal settlements, and enhancing urban resilience will help reduce poverty, improve public health, increase access to education, promote gender equality, and strengthen climate change resilience. The authors of the report also call on countries to invest more actively in statistics, geospatial data, and modern monitoring technologies to more accurately identify existing problems and allocate government resources more effectively.
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