The world marked World Habitat Day on October 5 with a stark reminder from the United Nations: 3.4 billion people lack access to secure housing. This year's theme is "Adequate Housing for All".

UN data shows around one billion people live in slums and informal settlements, while 300 million are homeless. Weather-related disasters displaced 45 million people in 2024 alone, adding to the crisis. UN-Habitat chief Anaclaudia Rossbach and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres both called for urgent investment in affordable housing.

The global observance was hosted in Muscat, Oman, where city leaders and housing experts discussed solutions ranging from slum upgrading to climate-resilient construction. Speakers stressed that housing is not just shelter — it shapes health, education and economic opportunity.

For India, where rapid urbanisation continues, the message resonates. Experts say the day is a call to treat adequate housing as a basic right and to build cities that leave no one behind.

Sources: currentaffairs.adda247.com; news.un.org; spearnewsonline.com.