Habitat for Humanity International and UN-Habitat strengthen collaboration to advance inclusive housing solutions worldwide
BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 20, 2026) — Habitat for Humanity International and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) today signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen future collaboration aimed at advancing adequate, affordable and resilient housing solutions worldwide.
Building on a long-standing relationship between the two organizations, including a previous memorandum of understanding signed in 2021, the Letter of Intent outlines the parties’ intention to further develop a strategic, catalytic and operationally enabled partnership framework for the period 2026 – 2030. The collaboration aims to promote the realization of the right to adequate housing and advance inclusive housing solutions through coordinated global, regional and country-level engagement. The partnership reinforces the organizations’ shared objective of translating global housing commitments into scalable, country-level solutions that improve access to adequate, affordable and resilient housing.
The Letter of Intent, which will serve as the basis for a future memorandum of understanding, comes at a time when rapid urbanization, climate impacts, rising housing costs and displacement are deepening the global housing crisis.
Under the Letter of Intent, Habitat for Humanity International and UN-Habitat will deepen collaboration on housing policy and advocacy, knowledge-sharing and research, capacity building, awareness raising and resource mobilization. The collaboration is intended to contribute to more coherent, scalable and systems-oriented approaches to sustainable urbanization and housing challenges, including informal settlements upgrading, resilience, housing finance, land and tenure security, urban recovery and locally led housing solutions.
The Letter of Intent also outlines the parties’ intention to strengthen strategic and operational collaboration at global, regional and country levels through coordinated implementation pathways, alignments of regional frameworks and joint engagement with Member States and urban stakeholders, while further strengthening linkages between their respective regional approaches.
“This renewed partnership reflects a shared recognition that housing is foundational to health, resilience, opportunity and dignity,” said Jonathan T. M. Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Around the world, millions of families continue to face the daily reality of unsafe or inadequate housing. By combining Habitat for Humanity’s community-based experience with UN-Habitat’s global leadership on sustainable urban development, we can help drive practical, scalable solutions that ensure more people have access to safe, affordable homes.”
The Letter of Intent also catalyzes a process to strengthen regional and country-level cooperation across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, North America and Europe. Joint collaboration areas may include ecosystem partnerships, advocacy, knowledge exchange, stakeholder coordination, technical assistance, training, research publications and coordinated resource mobilization around emerging housing and urbanization challenges. The parties also intend to explore opportunities for strategic initiatives and programmes in areas of shared priority and mutual comparative advantage, including engagement with governments, civil society, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders.
“Housing is at the heart of sustainable urban development and inclusive economic growth,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat. “This partnership with Habitat for Humanity International reinforces our collective commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind as cities continue to grow and evolve. Together, we will advance innovative and people-centered housing solutions that contribute to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable communities worldwide.”
Habitat for Humanity International and UN-Habitat have collaborated for many years to promote housing as a driver of poverty reduction, resilience and sustainable development. Their partnership has included joint advocacy, housing research, knowledge-sharing initiatives and support for global housing and urban development agendas.
About Habitat for Humanity International
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 decent, 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. Learn more at Habitat for Humanity International.
About UN-Habitat
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) works in over 90 countries supporting people in cities and human settlements for a better urban future. Working with governments and partners, UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities and communities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action. The 2026-2029 UN-Habitat strategic plan, endorsed by over 100 member states, places housing, land, basic services and the transformation of informal settlements at the centre of its action. Further, 2023, UN-Habitat convenes the Intergovernmental Open Ended Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, dedicated to develop global policy guidelines and foster their adaptation and implementation at country level. Learn more at UN-Habitat.