HFHI’s statement on the Political Declaration to Renew Commitment and Accelerate the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda

NEW YORK (July 16, 2026) – Today, member states adopted the Political Declaration to Renew Commitment and Accelerate the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda. As a global NGO dedicated to advancing adequate and affordable housing solutions, Habitat for Humanity International welcomes this political declaration and celebrates the widespread support by member states. We express our appreciation to the governments of Poland and Malawi for their leadership in guiding the consultative process toward the declaration.

The declaration announced today reflects the urgency and scale of challenges cities are facing, particularly through its recognition of the global housing crisis, rising inequality, and the record number of people living in informal settlements and inadequate housing. 

As the New Urban Agenda stocktaking has shown, important progress has been made since Habitat III. More countries have adopted housing and urban policies, housing has become more prominent in national development agendas, and infrastructure and service coverage has expanded. However, significant challenges remain: the global housing crisis has deepened, housing affordability continues to worsen, informal settlements are still underserved, housing inequalities persist and financing for implementation remains insufficient. We therefore welcome the declaration’s recognition of both the progress achieved and the gaps that remain.

The 2026 World Cities Report estimates that 3.4 billion people worldwide experience some form of housing inadequacy, while more than 1 billion people continue to live in informal settlements. These figures underscore the scale of the challenge and the need for accelerated action. In this context, we particularly welcome the prominent positioning of housing in the declaration, including its recognition as a driver of social inclusion, economic opportunity and resilience. We also commend the continued focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations, including women, children and youth, older persons, and people with disabilities.

We further welcome the strengthened recognition of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing, which provides an important platform for advancing practical solutions and supporting Member States in implementation.

At the same time, the stocktaking reminds us that policy commitments must be matched by implementation and investment. The fundamental reality remains: there is currently very limited development cooperation and Official Development Assistance, or ODA, toward housing. 

Habitat for Humanity estimates that less than 0.1 percent of ODA is allocated to housing.

Yet housing is foundational to achieving outcomes across health, education, climate action, gender equality, resilience and economic opportunity. 

While we welcome the elevated attention to housing in this declaration, recognizing the scale of the global housing deficit requires a corresponding commitment to financing. The ultimate measure of success will be whether the commitments reflected in this declaration translate into investment, implementation and improved housing outcomes for those most in need.

Grounded in more than 50 years of experience working alongside communities and governments around the world, Habitat for Humanity remains committed to supporting implementation of the New Urban Agenda through practical, scalable housing solutions.