Financing Urban Shelter: Global Report on Human Settlements 2005 examines the challenges of financing urban shelter development, focusing on the shelter needs of the poor and within the overall context of the United Nations Millennium Development target on slums. Recent estimates indicate that more than 2 billion people will be added to the number of urban dwellers in developing countries over the next 25 years. Suppose adequate financial resources are not invested in developing urban shelters and requisite services. In that case, this additional population will also be trapped in urban poverty, deplorable housing conditions, poor health, and low productivity, thus further compounding the enormous slum challenge that exists today.