Baku: In a world where approximately 2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions, the WUF13 forum could offer vital solutions, the head of UN-Habitat, Anacl¡udia Rossbach, said in an interview with UN Video, describing the situation as a 'global housing crisis'. The theme of the forum is a call to action: Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, nearly 2.8 billion people today are living in inadequate housing conditions, while more than 300 million have no home at all. With close to 70 percent of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050, the crisis is only set to intensify. Ms. Rossbach noted that the crisis, once most severe in the Global South, is now also impacting the Global North.

Ms. Rossbach highlighted that rising living costs and international crises, such as the war in the Middle East and risks to global supply chains, exacerbate the situation. Beyond physical structures, housing is seen as a foundation for human dignity, urban resilience, and global stability. The UN warns that the housing crisis strains healthcare and education systems, weakens economies, and frays the social fabric.

Francine Pickup, Deputy Director of the UN Development Programme and head of the UNDP delegation to WUF13, stated that the agency seeks to use the Baku forum to strengthen partnerships for integrated urban solutions encompassing housing, climate resilience, governance, and local financing. Ms. Pickup emphasized that the crisis is not merely a construction issue but a complex urban problem requiring a holistic approach.