WUF coordinator: 2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing

Today, an estimated 2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing, and at least 318 million face absolute homelessness, Abdinassir Sagar, Coordinator of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF), said on the third day of Baku Climate Action Week 2025 (BCAW2025), Report informs.

According to Sagar, 2.2 billion lacked access to safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion are without safely managed sanitation, and 1.9 billion lacked basic hygiene services as of 2022. "The cumulative effects of these challenges threaten the economic and social investments made in cities and risk reversing decades of progress if not urgently addressed," he said.

Sagar added that cities are at the center of global change: "More than half of the world's population already lives in urban areas. This creates enormous pressure on housing, infrastructure, and services. Informal settlements are expanding quickly, often without adequate water, sanitation, and resilience planning. Future development must prioritize adequate housing, inclusive basic services, and equitable access to urban opportunities if urbanization is to be a driver of prosperity instead of inequality."