Reall’s Participation in the UN-Habitat Assembly: A Global Call for Housing Solutions

Reall participated in the 2025 resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, convened at UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi on 29–30 May 2025. This significant gathering focused on advancing global housing solutions through the UN Human Settlements Programme.  

Joy Wachira, Reall’s Programme Lead – Green Affordable Housing (Kenya) at UN-Habitat second assembly  

Strategic Plan Endorsement and Global Participation  

The assembly successfully endorsed the Strategic Plan 2026-2029 through a decisive majority vote of 105 member states, establishing a crucial framework for addressing the escalating global housing crisis over the next four years. The event brought together 1,200 delegates representing 193 member states, including ministers, local government officials, civil society representatives, and key stakeholders united in their commitment to expanding housing access, enhancing basic services, and promoting inclusive urban prosperity and climate resilience.  

The UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 signals a growing global consensus: access to affordable housing, secure land tenure, and adequate services are not only essential development goals, but critical to climate resilience, economic inclusion, and social stability. The emphasis on transforming informal settlements and addressing slum conditions puts a long-overdue spotlight on communities most at risk of being left behind. 

The substantial attendance reflected the urgent need to address the housing challenges facing 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums, alongside more than 300 million homeless individuals worldwide. UN-Habitat Executive Director, Anacláudia Rossbach, opened proceedings with a compelling call for urgent, bold, and collaborative action to accelerate adequate housing access, human dignity, and sustainable development.  

“The Strategic Plan we have adopted is ambitious yet firmly grounded in realism,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat. “We look to our Member States to honour their commitments and continue their generous contributions, so that together, we can deliver transformative impact where it is needed most.”

National Housing Policy Presentations  

The high-level dialogue, co-chaired by Kenya and France, showcased diverse national approaches to housing challenges. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Alice Wahome, emphasised the value of international collaboration in addressing global housing needs, reaffirming Kenya’s dedication to sustainable housing solutions aligned with national development objectives, the New Urban Agenda, and Sustainable Development Goals.  

China through its representative, highlighted remarkable achievements through its comprehensive housing policy framework, having delivered 32 million affordable housing units with particular emphasis on rural housing safety and cost-effective implementation. Their model integrates government subsidies, renovation priorities, and innovative scalable finance mechanisms to maximise programme impact and accessibility.  

France’s Paris Governor underscored that effective housing solutions require substantial political commitment beyond supply-side interventions, evidenced by France’s significant budget increases for social and affordable housing initiatives, positioning housing as a core policy priority.  

Chilean representatives outlined their evolving housing strategy that adapts both urban connectivity and territorial dynamics. Their key innovation focused on replacing traditional programme applications with comprehensive territorial needs assessments, enabling more precise and effective policy interventions that address informal settlements holistically while incorporating national care systems for displaced and vulnerable populations.  

Democratic Decision-Making and Strategic Alignment  

The  UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 received formal approval on 30 May 2025, with overwhelming member state support. The few dissenting votes demonstrated the democratic nature of international housing governance, reflecting the complex balance between global co-operation and national policy priorities.  

Key Outcomes and Alignment  

The assembly underscored common themes essential for addressing global housing challenges: political commitment, innovative financing mechanisms, and comprehensive territorial planning approaches. These discussions reinforced the diversity of housing solutions while highlighting universal principles for effective intervention.  

Reall endorses the recognition that housing must be positioned as a fundamental enabler of climate adaptation, poverty alleviation, and inclusive economic growth. The Strategic Plan’s prioritisation of housing, land access, and service delivery directly mirrors Reall’s investment philosophy particularly our commitment to supporting cities in emerging markets to unlock housing solutions at scale. 

Reflecting on the outcome of the assembly, it was encouraging to note that the proceedings broadly validated Reall’s strategic initiatives across various markets, demonstrating strong alignment between the organisation’s work and the thematic priorities identified through global consensus at this landmark assembly. 

“Reall welcomes the UN-Habitat Assembly’s Strategic Plan as it echoes the core principles guiding our work: evidence-based demonstration of affordable, green homes and the pursuit of enabling environments through policy and finance. We see this as an important step toward accelerating housing solutions that serve people, promote inclusion, and address climate resilience, strengthening the collective effort needed to meet global housing challenges.” 

Ian Shapiro, CEO , Reall 

Way Forward for Reall 

Building on the momentum of the UN-Habitat Assembly, Reall remains well-equipped to deepen its impact as a key contributor to global housing solutions. The strong alignment between Reall’s strategic priorities and the assembly’s endorsed themes: political commitment, innovative financing, and integrated territorial planning reinforces the relevance and scalability of its market-based approaches. 

Looking ahead, Reall remains committed to unlocking inclusive housing markets at scale through strategic partnerships that prioritise affordability, climate resilience, and dignity for low-income communities. By advancing replicable models and data-driven insights, Reall supports systemic change across emerging economies. 

As the UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan introduces new platforms for collaboration, such as the Global Adequate Housing Platform and an  Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, Reall welcomes these as valuable opportunities for dialogue and shared learning. Our programme activities continue to focus on demonstrating, advocating for, and providing evidence of innovative climate-resilient housing solutions and inclusive financing mechanisms that integrate adequate and affordable housing with essential services. 

Our approach remains centred on developing tailored enabling environment propositions that de-risk investments and address specific contextual challenges, while aligning with broader global objectives. Reall is dedicated to maintaining and strengthening strategic partnerships across the housing value chain working with governments, financial institutions, developers, and community organisations to pool expertise and resources in addressing the global housing crisis affecting 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements worldwide. 

Written and edited By Joy Wachira, Programme Lead – Green Affordable Housing (Kenya) and Nidhi Agarwal, Content and Communications Coordinator