// SUSTAINABILITY: HOUSING
Breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality through housing
A s leaders gather for the G20 global housing crisis. Housing might not be debated with the same urgency as energy or finance, nor does it achieve the spotlight of climate or trade negotiations. However, it is the hidden foundation on which progress on all of these depends. Today, nearly three billion people live in inadequate housing. More than 1.1 billion people reside in informal settlements and slums, and more than 300 million people experience homelessness globally. This is a crisis not of bricks and mortar but of dignity, safety, health and opportunity. Without a decent home, children struggle to study, families cannot access clean water and energy, people are excluded from opportunities, and communities remain exposed to climate shocks and health hazards. Inadequate housing often fuels poverty and inequality. Climate change and conflicts are Johannesburg Summit, one issue deserves urgent attention: the worsening the global housing crisis. In 2024 alone, the United Nations High As the G20 meets in Johannesburg, placing housing at the centre of global development could unlock progress across poverty reduction, climate adaptation and inclusive growth Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations under-secretary- general and executive director, UN-Habitat
132 // G20 SOUTH AFRICA: THE JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT 2025
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