Hungarian envoy warns global housing crisis threatens sustainable urban development

Tamás József Torma, Hungary's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said billions of people worldwide still lack access to adequate housing, speaking during a ministerial roundtable at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku.

The ambassador said Azerbaijan’s hosting of the global urban development forum reflects the country’s growing role in the international community, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

“Ten years ago, the international community adopted the New Urban Agenda with an ambitious vision. Today, as we review a decade of implementation, we must acknowledge not only the progress made but also the urgent tasks ahead. The New Urban Agenda has helped place sustainable urbanization at the center of global development. Many countries have tracked their actions, developed urban policies, expanded climate-resilient planning, and invested in public transport and digital infrastructure,” Torma said.

He stressed that the global housing crisis continues to worsen and called for housing to become a central pillar of urban policy worldwide.

“Access to adequate, safe housing is still unattainable for billions of people. Housing should no longer be viewed merely as a social issue. It is a defining economic, ecological, and political challenge of our time. The reality is clear: without placing housing at the center of the urban agenda, sustainable urban development cannot be achieved. That is why the next decade must be a decade of implementation,” he added.

By Sabina Mammadli