UN Launches Major New Office in SA to Fix Housing Crisis
TSHWANE — South Africa has officially launched a dedicated UN-Habitat Country Office to accelerate the development of sustainable and inclusive human settlements.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach inaugurated the office in Tshwane on Friday. The move marks a critical expansion of the partnership between the South African government and the United Nations agency responsible for sustainable urbanisation.
Minister Simelane said the establishment of the office is a significant step toward transforming urban landscapes and upgrading informal settlements. The facility will integrate human settlement development into the broader United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
The initiative follows the adoption of the UN-Habitat Country Programme for South Africa in September 2023. This programme aligns with the National Development Plan and the government’s constitutional mandate to provide adequate housing for all citizens.
According to the Ministry, the new office will provide technical assistance and policy advice to address poverty and the high cost of living. It specifically targets the implementation of spatial integration and capacity building within local government structures.
The partnership is expected to influence urban development beyond South Africa’s borders. Simelane noted that the office would serve as a springboard for a consolidated human settlements agenda within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The launch builds on a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding which focused on the Global Action Plan for Accelerating the Transformation of Informal Settlements and Slums. The new office provides a permanent platform for collaboration between government agencies, development partners, and international stakeholders.
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