The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) was created in 1978 to “promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.” It plays a key role in helping countries manage urbanization to help cities generate wealth and improve living standards for their people, reducing inequality, discrimination, and poverty. Initially, UN-Habitat received little support, but by 2002, when half of the world’s population lived in cities, the organization was revitalized with more funding and a stronger focus. UN-Habitat became central to achieving the seventh Millennium Development Goal (2000–2015), which sought environmental sustainability and poverty reduction through better urban planning. Today, UN-Habitat works on many current Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The organization helps transform cities and human settlements through knowledge sharing, policy advice, technical support, and collaboration in over 90 countries.

Access to land and property remains restricted for women in law and practice across many regions. This has direct consequences for housing security, economic empowerment, and sustainable urban development. Women hold a disproportionately small share of landholders, and according to UN-Habitat, women own less than 10 percent of property in developed countries and only 2 percent in developing countries. Very few countries—37 percent of 161 countries evaluated—provide women with legal rights to own and control land. Discriminatory inheritance laws, customs that exclude women from ownership, and limited access to legal documentation all contribute to this inequality. In urban contexts the issue is further exacerbated by living in informal settlements, insecure tenure, forced evictions, and displacement. Without secure rights to land and housing, women often struggle to access credit, earn income, and achieve financial independence. They are also more vulnerable to gender-based violence, especially during evictions or after conflicts when communities are being resettled. Moreover, rapid urban developments and the rising demand for land further strain existing housing shortages, making it difficult for women to accommodate themselves in this context. Addressing this issue requires strategies such as reforming discriminatory property laws, strengthening access for women to legal aid and land administration systems, expanding titling and registration programs, and integrating gender-responsive planning into urban policy.

Disasters are growing more frequent, destructive, and costly, with cities on the front line of these risks. Disasters now cause an average of USD 202 billion in direct economic losses annually, with total costs exceeding USD 2.3 trillion when long-term effects are counted. This problem is set to continue. By 2050, 70 percent of the world population will live in cities, and 64 percent of urban residents today live in areas with a considerable risk from disasters. Not all populations face this risk equally. Those in informal settlements or slums are affected the most. Poor housing construction, inadequate drainage systems, and limited access to clean water, healthcare, and emergency services all make these communities far more vulnerable when disasters occur. Nonetheless, the systems designed to protect are significantly underfunded and unevenly distributed. A 2025 global study found that 39 percent of large cities have early warning systems in place, and cities in lower-income countries are three times less likely to have full coverage than those in more developed states. Closing these gaps requires coordinated, large-scale action. Cities must adopt risk-informed urban planning, meaning that where and how buildings are constructed must consider disaster exposure. Stronger building codes are essential, alongside targeted investments in resilient infrastructure. These efforts must reach informal settlements and marginalized communities, which are often omitted from preparedness plans entirely.