Statement from Habitat for Humanity International on the Second Meeting of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All

Habitat for Humanity International welcomes the second convening of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, or OEWG-H, as a vital milestone in the global effort to elevate housing within the development agenda. This meeting reflects the inclusive and consultative spirit of the OEWG-H process, bringing together governments, experts and civil society to shape recommendations on housing finance, secure tenure, social housing and informal settlements.

We are encouraged by the strong engagement of member states and the shared commitment to move this process forward. The positive momentum generated during this meeting is a testament to the growing recognition that housing is not only a human right — it is a catalyst for health, education, climate resilience and economic opportunity. Habitat for Humanity has been actively involved throughout this process, contributing technical expertise and on-the-ground experience to help ensure the recommendations are both globally relevant and locally actionable.

To further strengthen the recommendations, we offered several key suggestions, including:

  • Proposed recommendations should reflect a framework built around five housing policy regimes: housing finance, tenure security, infrastructure, regulations and subsidies. This would provide a consistent and tested framework for countries to address housing holistically. This should also include guidance on navigating policy trade-offs and determining appropriate instruments tailored to their contexts.
  • Echoed calls from member states to clarify and track Official Development Assistance, or ODA, flows for housing — ensuring transparency and impact.
  • Urged broader government participation in the OEWG-H process and emphasized the need for stronger engagement with housing ministries and civil society organizations.
  • Called for increased investment in the OEWG-H itself, recognizing that its success depends on sustained technical and financial support.

We remain deeply committed to the shared goal of consensus-driven recommendations by 2029. We continue to work alongside communities and partners in more than 60 countries toward our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, reflected in initiatives like Home Equals, which has expanded equitable access to adequate housing in informal settlements for more than 7.9 million people.

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a movement of people in your local area and around the world, working together to build more prosperous and vibrant communities by making sure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Since our founding in 1976 as a Christian organization, together we have helped more than 62 million people globally build their futures on their own terms through access to decent housing. We’ve done that by working alongside people of all walks of life to build, repair and finance their homes, by innovating new ways of building and financing, and by advocating for policies that make constructing and accessing housing easier for everyone. Together, we build homes, communities and hope. To learn more, visit habitat.org.