A safe home is one of humanity's most basic needs. Yet for billions, it remains out of reach. According to UN-Habitat, 2.8 billion people — more than a third of the world's population — lack access to adequate housing. That includes more than 1.1 billion people living in slums or informal settlements, often without clean water, sanitation, or secure tenure.
The UN also estimates that around 300 million people are homeless worldwide — living on the streets, in temporary shelters, or with no stable roof at all. Conflict, disasters, rising costs, and rapid urbanization are deepening the crisis, especially in Africa and Asia. In May 2025, the UN-Habitat Assembly placed affordable housing at the center of its plan for 2026–2029, warning that the need is outpacing every effort to meet it.
The Global Housing Crisis (UN-Habitat):
- Inadequate housing: 2.8 billion people — more than a third of humanity.
- Slums: Over 1.1 billion people live in slums or informal settlements.
- Homeless: Around 300 million people have no stable home.
- Drivers: Conflict, disasters, inequality, rising costs and rapid urbanization.
- Trend: Housing needs are growing faster than cities can respond.
When Housing Becomes a Commodity
Governments have built public housing, offered subsidies, and upgraded slums, and many families have benefited. But in much of the world, housing has become an investment for the wealthy rather than a home for the poor. Rents rise faster than wages, land is concentrated in few hands, and millions are displaced by war and disaster each year. The result is a world in which empty luxury buildings stand alongside sprawling slums.
— Isaiah 5:8
The Bible condemned those who accumulated property at the expense of others. That same greed continues to keep billions from having a decent place to live.
Every Family Its Own Home
God's purpose is for every person to enjoy a secure, comfortable home. The Bible describes a future in which people will not only build homes but also live in them, free from the threat of eviction or loss.
— Isaiah 65:21, 22
No one will be forced to rent from a greedy landlord or flee a home destroyed by war. Each family will enjoy the fruit of its own work.
Lasting Security for All
Under God's Kingdom, homes will be places of peace and safety, and no one will be without shelter.
— Isaiah 32:18
Housing advocates, city planners, and charities are working hard to provide shelter, and many lives have been improved. But the sheer scale of the crisis shows that human systems cannot house all of humanity. The Bible promises a government under which every person will have a secure and beautiful home — and homelessness will never be known again.