Spokesman Report
Islamabad: In a World Habitat Day statement, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach said housing is where family life, security and livelihoods begin, yet billions lack a safe, affordable home with basic services. Nearly 3.4 billion people lack adequate housing, over a billion live in informal settlements and slums, and housing costs are taking a growing share of incomes.
She called this a challenge to cities, economies and efforts to reduce inequality, since adequate housing helps children learn, families stay healthy and communities withstand shocks. She said housing should be treated as a public priority alongside land and basic services.
Progress is possible, she said, but the scale of the problem demands a different approach: putting people at the centre of policy, investing in communities, and working across levels of government with the private sector and civil society.
She described adequate housing not as a luxury but as a foundation for a dignified life and sustainable cities.
