UN-Habitat official: Housing problems in cities to intensify by 2050

Housing problems in cities will intensify by 2050, Benedict Arimah, Chief of the Global Reports and Trends Unit at UN-Habitat, said during the presentation of the World Cities Report (2026) at the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

Report quotes him as saying 1.6 billion people worldwide currently lack adequate housing:

"Figures vary across regions, but the construction of adequate housing is imperative. By 2024, 203 million people were forced to leave their homes. The relocation of 20 million settlements resulted in losses amounting to 208 billion. By 2050, housing problems in cities will intensify further. Only 25% of the world's population can access housing through mortgages. This means that very few people have the financial capacity to afford it."