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Last year, Habitat for Humanity International had the opportunity to participate in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) Forum of Mayors in Geneva, Switzerland. This high-level event brought together representatives from 40 national governments, local authorities, and housing and climate experts from across the continent to explore sustainable urban solutions. We joined the forum to present one of our most transformative initiatives—Empty Spaces to Homes—a project that reimagines vacant buildings as a key part of solving Europe’s housing and climate crises.

Habitat collaborates with partner microfinance institutions and helps them develop housing loans, provides trainings to homeowners on managing their loans, and offers construction assistance.

If you know that people in your country are moving from villages to cities, think thoroughly about what kind of city you will need, an experienced urbanist advises.

Cairo will host Habitat for Humanity’s first edition of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Housing Forum, November 21-23, 2022. The three-day event will convene housing contributors and stakeholders from the public and private sectors, advocates, academics, researchers, microfinance experts and representatives from local and international NGOS from the MENA region. 

India’s rivers are paying the price for its construction boom, with illegal sand mining deepening riverbeds and worsening floods. But a quiet revolution is underway—driven by M-sand, a sustainable alternative backed by local innovators and supported by the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS), an initiative led by Habitat for Humanity and supported by the Hilti Foundation. Together, they’re making it easier for families to build safe, affordable homes without harming the environment. With each new house built on M-sand, a more resilient and responsible future takes shape.

Ana Carolina Gomes, Associate Director for Strategy and Operations at Habitat for Humanity International, is leading efforts to address the gap of over 30 million homes in Europe sitting vacant and 900,000 people being homeless each night. At the World Urban Forum organized by UN-Habitat in November 2024, she outlined Habitat for Humanity’s plan to repurpose vacant buildings—a strategy that combines social impact with environmental responsibility. The goal is to increase affordvble housing while also reducing carbon emissions. 

As climate change continues to impact our planet, transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power (PV) has never been more urgent. Not only do these sources help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they also enhance energy independence. This is where the SUNRISE project comes in. 

Excel Coatings is leading the charge in transforming homes across India with its affordable, sustainable cooling solution, Excel CoolCoat. This innovative product is helping families combat extreme summer heat, offering relief without the high cost of air conditioning. Discover how this simple, eco-friendly solution is reshaping the way millions live through the hottest months.