Safe homes placed at the center of global poverty eradication efforts

More than 300 million people worldwide live without safe, secure and adequate housing, a crisis that will take center stage as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is commemorated under the theme “Safe Homes For All,” according to a press release by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). The Day is officially recognized on 17 October, with the commemoration event taking place on 16 October this year. UN DESA is joining partners around the world in calling for housing systems that place human rights, dignity and meaningful participation at their center. The 2026 theme forms part of the three-year theme “United for Peace and Human Rights.” Safe homes, the organization argues, are essential to end poverty and build peaceful, inclusive and sustainable societies.

More than 2.8 billion people worldwide experience some form of housing insecurity, including 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums. On top of that, over 300 million people lack a place to call home. The crisis disproportionately affects people already facing poverty and exclusion, including women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, refugees and racial and ethnic minorities. Rising housing costs, armed conflicts, forced displacement and climate-related disasters are increasing housing insecurity. Many people are being pushed into unsafe, overcrowded or precarious living conditions because housing systems are failing to meet their needs.

A home provides security, privacy, stability and a sense of belonging, and creates the foundation from which people can access education, health care, decent work, social protection and public life. Without a secure home, access to other rights becomes much more difficult. Housing insecurity can harm physical and mental health, interrupt children’s education, disrupt employment and separate families and communities. The Doha Political Declaration, adopted at the Second World Summit for Social Development last year, reaffirms the right to an adequate standard of living, including safe, accessible and affordable housing, drinking water and equitable sanitation. The declaration reinforces the message that housing is a foundational right.

People experiencing poverty hold direct and irreplaceable knowledge of the challenges they face, and housing policies developed without their meaningful participation can overlook daily realities. The 2026 theme calls for people living in poverty to be recognized as rights-holders and knowledge-holders. Governments are urged to move beyond conducting consultations and involve affected communities in designing, implementing and evaluating housing policies. As one participant in the global consultation for the 2026 theme explained: “A home is not just four walls: it is a place where one feels safe.” Governments and their partners must also mobilize adequate resources and ensure that housing is affordable, accessible, safe, secure and connected to essential services.

The commemoration brings together governments, civil society and affected communities to advance housing as a core element of poverty eradication. UN DESA emphasizes that lasting solutions require the direct participation of those most affected by housing insecurity. The appeal underscores both the scale of the crisis and the central role of housing in enabling other rights. Safe homes for all are not a privilege but a necessity for inclusive development. They remain essential to ending poverty and building peaceful, inclusive and sustainable societies.