#285 UN-Habitat’s Anacláudia Rossbach on the Global Housing Crisis, Informal Settlements, and Partnerships

Vienna is calling the global real estate industry to the 76th FIABCI World Congress from June 8 to 12, 2026, in Vienna, Austria.Experience an exceptional edition of the FIABCI World Real Estate Congress – for the first time in 36 years, it is being held again in Vienna. We expect up to 1,000 professionals from around the world for a unique gathering at the intersection of business, innovation, and culture:https://www.worldcongress2026.com/This time, we had the honor to interview Anacláudia Rossbach, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, about the global housing crisis and UN-Habitat’s mandate. Anacláudia Rossbach explains UN-Habitat’s 50-year role, the New Urban Agenda endorsed in Quito in 2016, and its stewardship of SDG 11. She outlines the scale of today’s crisis—about 1 billion people in informal settlements, 300 million experiencing homelessness, and 3 billion living in inadequate conditions—driven largely by poverty and inequality, limited formal housing markets, weak fiscal capacity, and insufficient planning and housing systems. Anacláudia Rossbach argues housing can be a powerful multiplier for jobs, GDP, city revenues, and social outcomes, stressing culturally grounded approaches, especially in Africa’s rapid urbanization. She cites transformations in Addis Ababa and Kenya’s housing efforts, and emphasizes regional and global knowledge exchange through forums and partnerships.00:00 Vienna Congress Invite00:30 Meet Anacláudia Rossbach02:19 What UN Habitat Does04:39 Inside the Housing Crisis06:04 Root Causes Explained08:54 Housing as Economic Engine11:16 Culture and Urban Models13:45 Africa Urbanization Moment16:01 Success Stories in Africa20:18 Regional Collaboration Networks21:58 World Urban Forum Preview22:48 Closing Thoughts and Contact25:54 Vienna Congress OutroMeet Anacláudia Rossbach during the Fiabci World Congress in Vienna: https://www.worldcongress2026.com/Learn more or get in touch:https://unhabitat.org/contact/anaclaudia-rossbach-usghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacl%C3%A1udia_Rossbachhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anaclaudiarossbach/#UrbanDevelopment #HousingForAll #SustainableCities #RealEstate #SocialImpact #CommunityGrowth #UNHabitat #Infrastructure #GlobalDevelopment #OpportunityForAll