Current rates of population growth and urban-rural migration, particularly in developing countries, have serious impacts on living conditions in human settlements. By the beginning of the third millennium, it is estimated that 1.1 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions in urban areas alone. In many cities of developing countries, more than half of the population live in informal settlements, without security of tenure and in conditions that can be described as life and health threatening. Among an estimated 100 million homeless people around the world, available data suggest that increasing proportions are women and children.

The annual need for housing in urban areas of developing countries alone is estimated at around 35 million units (during 2000-2010). The bulk of these, some 21 million units, are required to cater for the needs of the increasing number of households. The rest is needed to meet the requirements of people who are homeless or living in inadequate housing. In other words, some 95,000 new urban housing units have to be constructed each day in developing countries to improve housing conditions to acceptable levels.

While increasing housing production and improving existing housing stock are very important in every society, these activities must run parallel with actions that specifically address and focus on the human rights aspects. A rights-based approach to development in the housing sector can:

• Empower the poor and the homeless;
• Promote security of tenure, particularly for women and vulnerable groups in inadequate housing conditions;
• Strengthen protection against forced evictions and discrimination in the housing sector; and
• Promote equal access to housing resources and remedies in cases of violations of housing rights.