NAIROBI, Kenya – UN-Habitat has announced two major international partnerships to accelerate progress on affordable housing, unveiling a cross-continental collaboration during a high-level signing event at the resumed United Nations Habitat Assembly in Nairobi.
The agreements establish two global hubs focused on inclusive and sustainable housing: one co-hosted by Paris and Nairobi, and another in partnership with the French government, aimed at scaling up global cooperation and innovation in tackling the housing crisis.
“With nearly 3 billion people living in substandard housing today, the need for collective action has never been more urgent,” said UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach. “These partnerships are about more than infrastructure—they’re about dignity, equity, and global solidarity.”
The first agreement launches a Social Housing Hub linking Paris and Nairobi.
It brings together UN-Habitat, the City of Paris, and Nairobi City County to promote people-centered housing policies, with a particular focus on transforming informal settlements and slums through inclusive planning and community engagement.
Closing the Gap: Global North and South Unite for Inclusive Social HousingUN-Habitat hosted a high-level signing event during the resumed UN Habitat Assembly, marking a major step towards bridging the housing divide between the Global North and South… 1/5
The second Letter of Intent, signed between UN-Habitat and the Government of France, will see the establishment of a Cooperation Hub hosted in France, providing a platform for global knowledge-sharing and capacity building on housing systems.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called housing “a matter of social inclusion and climate resilience,” adding that cities must act as “laboratories for solutions” to growing urban inequality. “Housing is not just a roof,” she said. “It’s about dignity, social cohesion, and opportunity.”
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja emphasized his city’s recent achievements, including the delivery of over 1,000 new homes for families living in informal settlements.
“In Nairobi, affordable housing is a matter of daily life and justice,” he said. “This partnership reflects our determination to do more—and to inspire other cities to do the same.”
French Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, said France was proud to support the initiative.
“These hubs are a bold step toward innovative responses to urban challenges,” he said. “We are honoured to welcome UN-Habitat as a partner in this mission.”
The new partnerships align closely with the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11, which calls for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.
They also respond directly to a 2023 UN-Habitat Assembly resolution endorsed by 193 countries, urging stronger global efforts to improve housing and upgrade informal settlements.
UN-Habitat officials say the hubs will serve as engines of collaboration—linking local governments, civil society, and technical experts to scale up what works and adapt solutions to local contexts.
