At least 1.2 billion people worldwide live in substandard housing, and this number is increasing quickly in the context of accelerating urban population growth. 300 million new homes will be required by 2030 to bridge the global deficit, with the majority concentrated in rapidly urbanising Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

While the challenge is vast, the opportunity is enormous. Delivering quality, serviced, and affordable housing at scale drives economic growth, job creation, and urban resilience while having a profound developmental impact.

This impact is often radical for socially excluded groups, who are concentrated at the lower end of the income pyramid. Across Africa and Asia, this typically includes people with disabilities, women, and girls, ethnic and religious minorities, migrants, and older people.