The promise of adequate housing: A Human Right we must uphold

By Anacláudia Rossbach

The world has just observed the Human Rights Day. Sadly, billions of people around the world still live without adequate housing – a fundamental human right recognised in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as part of the right to an adequate standard of living.

Adequate housing is more than just shelter. It is the foundation of dignity, security, and opportunity. Yet, for billions of people, this human right remains a broken promise.

Globally, 2.8 billion people experience some form of housing inadequacy. Some 1.1 billion people live in informal settlement and at least 318 million are homeless.

Rapid urbanisation, especially in developing regions, has overwhelmed infrastructure and housing systems, leaving many communities vulnerable and often prone to climate disasters.

Systemic drivers have exacerbated these deficits. Housing is increasingly treated as a financial commodity, with speculative development driving up costs while properties remain vacant. Meanwhile, public investment in social housing has declined, with most regions allocating less than 0.5 percent of GDP.

The failure to deliver adequate housing cannot continue. To bridge the gap between the promise of adequate housing and its realisation, we must recommit to a holistic, human rights-based approach that prioritises housing as a cornerstone of well-planned, functional urban areas. This vision must recognise the social and ecological functions of land as critical to deliver adequate housing inclusively.

Achieving this requires the public sector to take the lead in delivering equitable outcomes. While diverse actors contribute to housing solutions, it is governments that must establish the foundation and long-term strategic framework necessary to ensure access to adequate housing for all. We also need better data to guide effective policies – data that captures the full extent of housing deprivation, homelessness, and the realities of informal settlements, allowing for targeted, evidence-based decision-making.

Lastly, financing must be scaled up to match the challenge. Adequate housing requires long-term investment, and governments must employ diverse funding models to ensure the delivery of sustainable, needs-based housing solutions. This includes linking multilateral and bilateral resources to national housing programmes, ensuring that they are robust enough to address needs of rapidly urbanising and growing regions.

Recommitting to these principles will not only fulfil the promise of adequate housing as a human right, but also lay the foundation for inclusive, resilient, and thriving urban communities. This approach has been supported by the UN member states when they adopted the resolution on adequate housing for all, at the second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly in June 2023.

Around the world, bold actions are proving that change is possible. Singapore has used sustained public investment to ensure housing for the majority its population. In Kenya, spatial planning and participation has enabled access to services and security of tenure in informal settlements; and in Brazil, social housing programmes prioritise women and vulnerable groups, linking shelter to essential services. These examples show that with inclusive approaches, strong leadership and commitment, adequate housing can become a reality for all.

On this Human Rights Day, let us reaffirm our universal commitment to human dignity and the right to an adequate standard of living as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

____________________
Anacláudia Rossbach is United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat. An economist with over 20 years of experience in housing, informal settlements, and urban policies, she was the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and served as Regional Manager for Cities Alliance. She oversaw the development and implementation of Brazilian housing and slum-upgrading policies at the World Bank.