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Hungary’s housing landscape presents a striking contradiction. Despite a growing number of dwellings—over 4.5 million—more than 570,000 stand vacant, while nearly 3 million people struggle with housing poverty. At the same time, the country’s population continues to shrink, creating a disconnect between where homes exist and where they’re needed most. A new research study from Habitat for Humanity Hungary takes a deep dive into this complex picture, offering an eye-opening look at how a more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable housing future might be built—quite literally—out of empty spaces.

Croatia is facing a paradox: while housing costs are rising and many young people are locked out of the rental and ownership markets, nearly a third of all homes meant for permanent residence sit empty. This contrast lies at the heart of a new research report on the country’s housing landscape—one that uncovers not just the challenges, but the untapped opportunities for creating more inclusive, sustainable communities.

Read news about Habitat’s work in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as current housing issues and innovations in housing markets.

Bratislava (August 14, 2025) – Habitat for Humanity is excited to announce the next step in our growing collaboration with the Employee Foundation of the VKR Group. Together, we’re building on shared values and years of impactful work, this time through hands-on volunteer work and collective action in Poland.

In cities across the Global South, people are increasingly pushed to the margins by insecure land tenure, climate displacement, and exclusion from urban planning. At the 2025 LANDac International Conference, Habitat for Humanity joined global changemakers

Cities across the Global South are on the frontline of climate impacts, yet the needs and voices of communities in informal settlements are often overlooked in climate research, policy responses, and financing. This gap was a central theme at the recent IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities) workshop, held on the sidelines of the Africa Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).

At this year’s 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, leaders rallied around a bold and timely theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” While reparations are often viewed through a financial lens, the summit emphasized the need for deeper structural change - addressing inequalities that continue to hold communities back.

One of those inequalities? Housing.

Housing is more than bricks and mortar – Home equals dignity, safety and opportunity. Yet housing education content remains underrepresented and relatively new to mainstream media. To change that, Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) recently hosted a dynamic housing content pitching roundtable. The event brought together diverse stakeholders from media, government, NGOs, private and public sectors to explore how media-based interventions can bridge critical information and knowledge gaps within the housing ecosystem.

On 12 August, volunteer sector experts from across Africa gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to mark International Youth Day by celebrating the transformative power of volunteering. For the first time, the African Union recognized the contributions of volunteers across the continent by launching the State of Volunteerism in Africa Report.

The report positions volunteerism as a vital driver of Africa’s development aspirations, particularly in advancing Agenda 2063. It highlights that Africa contributes an estimated 5.9 million hours of voluntary service every month—valued at over USD 353.5 million annually. 

On Monday, 8 September, renovation works began at 1 Nadarzyńska Street, led by a team of 21 employee volunteers from Australia, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, France, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Swapping their work places for paint rollers, the group traded business attire for hard hats and work clothes, following safety training before diving into four days of hands-on renovation.