Resilience starts at home: Advancing climate action through the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor Programme
NEW YORK (Sept. 24, 2026) – At the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the unveiling of the governance structure of the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor, or BCRUP, Programme, alongside the BCRUP Regional Readiness Project and the Joint SDG Fund, marks important milestones in advancing a global effort to strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable urban communities through inclusive, locally led and sustainable solutions. Habitat for Humanity International commends the leadership of the government of Kenya, the government of Brazil, UN-Habitat, the UN Joint SDG Fund and all partners driving this effort forward.
Habitat for Humanity International was especially honored to participate at the invitation of H.E. President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya. Being among a select group of organizations invited to engage alongside heads of state, senior UN leaders, climate finance institutions and development partners reflects the growing recognition that housing and human settlements are central to both sustainable development and climate resilience.
This gathering marks an important milestone in the global conversation on climate adaptation and resilience. Last year, the government of Kenya convened the first-ever high-level United Nations General Assembly event focused on housing, elevating the issue as a political priority among heads of state and government. Habitat for Humanity International was honored to participate as the only civil society organization represented in the room, underscoring our distinctive role as both an advocate for adequate housing and an implementer of practical housing solutions around the world. This year’s event builds on that momentum by reaffirming a critical principle: climate adaptation begins where people live.
Across the world, families living in informal and underserved communities face disproportionate exposure to climate-related risks yet continue to experience significant barriers in accessing climate finance and adaptation investments. The discussions at this event reinforced a growing consensus that resilient housing, upgraded neighborhoods, basic services and local infrastructure are not secondary development concerns – they are foundational climate adaptation and resilience investments, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities.
“The BCRUP event demonstrated that global leaders are increasingly recognizing what vulnerable communities have long known: resilience starts at home. As climate impacts intensify, investments in resilient housing, neighborhoods and basic services must become a central part of the climate agenda. Habitat for Humanity International welcomes this growing commitment and stands ready to help advance the BCRUP Programme through partnership, implementation and locally led solutions that deliver lasting climate resilience for those who need it most,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.
With established operations in BCRUP countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire, Habitat is well positioned to contribute its technical expertise, implementation capacity and community-centered approach to help scale climate-resilient housing, neighborhood upgrading and locally led adaptation solutions. We look forward to working alongside governments, climate funds, multilateral institutions, the private sector and communities to help advance these initiatives and deliver measurable results.
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 65 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.