The World Urban Forum kicked off in Baku on Sunday with a blunt warning: the world’s housing gap is getting worse, not better. UN-Habitat executive director Maimunah Mohd Sharif told delegates that 1.6 billion people now live in slums or overcrowded, unsafe conditions—up from 900 million in 1990. She called the trend ‘a slow-motion emergency’ that’s accelerating in Africa and South Asia, where rapid urbanization outpaces investment in basic shelter. ‘We’re building cities for the rich, not the poor,’ Sharif said, pointing to rising rents and land speculation that push families into informal settlements without water or electricity. The forum, which runs through Friday, has drawn over 10,000 urban planners, mayors, and ministers from 160 countries to discuss solutions—from rent controls to new construction codes. ## Bigger cities, bigger problems The housing crisis isn’t just about numbers. In cities like Lagos and Nairobi, families spend up to 70% of their income on rent, while in Dhaka, entire neighborhoods are built on flood-prone land. UN data shows that by 2030, an estimated 3 billion people—nearly 40% of the global population—will need access to adequate housing, up from 1.8 billion today. Sharif said the problem is worst where governments lack resources to enforce building standards or provide public land for affordable projects. ‘Cities are growing at breakneck speed, but our policies are stuck in the 1980s,’ she added. ## Rich nations aren’t immune either The forum isn’t just about the Global South. In Europe, rising mortgage rates have pushed homeownership out of reach for younger workers, while in the U.S., 17 million renters spend more than half their income on housing. In Baku itself, the contrast is stark: gleaming skyscrapers rise alongside Soviet-era apartment blocks where entire floors lack running water. The forum’s host, Azerbaijan’s housing minister Firudin Qurbanov, promised his country would double spending on social housing next year. ## What’s on the agenda this week The forum’s packed schedule includes sessions on ‘greening’ informal settlements, using shipping containers for emergency housing, and pressuring banks to offer low-interest loans for affordable projects. A highlight will be a closed-door meeting between mayors from Lagos, Mumbai, and São Paulo to share tactics for combating land grabs by developers. Critics say past UN pledges—like the 2016 ‘New Urban Agenda’—have failed to deliver, with funding gaps persisting in the poorest countries. But Sharif insists this isn’t just another talk shop. ‘We’re not here to admire the problem,’ she said. ‘We’re here to hammer out deals.’

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  • Source: Euronews
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 20:59 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #euronews · #europe · #world-news · #war · #conflict · #baku

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O mundo enfrenta um déficit habitacional recorde, com mais de 1 bilhão de pessoas vivendo em condições precárias, e a ONU soa o alarme em Baku, onde representantes de 160 países se reúnem para discutir a crise que afeta também o Brasil. Enquanto milhões de famílias brasileiras ainda lutam por moradia digna, especialmente nas periferias das grandes cidades, a falta de políticas públicas eficazes e o encarecimento dos imóveis ampliam o fosso social, tornando o problema cada vez mais urgente.

O Fórum Urbano Mundial, realizado na capital do Azerbaijão, coloca em pauta não apenas a escassez de habitações, mas também a desigualdade no acesso à infraestrutura e serviços básicos, um desafio que se repete em metrópoles como São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro e Belo Horizonte. No Brasil, onde a população favelada já ultrapassa 13 milhões de pessoas, segundo dados recentes, a discussão ganha contornos ainda mais críticos, pois a especulação imobiliária e a lentidão das políticas habitacionais — como o Minha Casa Minha Vida — agravam a situação. A dependência de soluções emergenciais, como ocupações irregulares, evidencia a necessidade de um planejamento urbano integrado e investimentos robustos.

Diante desse cenário, a expectativa é que os compromissos firmados em Baku avancem para ações concretas, com pressão sobre governos e organismos internacionais para priorizar o direito à moradia como pilar do desenvolvimento sustentável.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

Más de 10.000 delegados de 160 países se reúnen en Bakú para abordar la mayor crisis habitacional global, donde la escasez de viviendas dignas amenaza con agravar la desigualdad urbana. El Foro Urbano Mundial, organizado por ONU-Hábitat, busca impulsar soluciones urgentes ante un déficit que supera los 1.600 millones de personas sin acceso a una vivienda adecuada, un problema que se acelera con la migración masiva y el cambio climático.

La reunión en Azerbaiyán llega en un momento crítico, con cifras que reflejan un desequilibrio creciente: mientras las ciudades crecen sin planificación, millones malviven en asentamientos informales o pagan alquileres inalcanzables. Para los hispanohablantes, el tema resuena especialmente en América Latina, donde el déficit habitacional supera el 30% en varios países, y en España, donde la gentrificación y los precios disparados ahogan a las clases medias. La ONU insiste en que, sin políticas integrales que combinen financiación pública, innovación tecnológica y participación ciudadana, el sueño de ciudades inclusivas quedará solo en eso: un sueño.