KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Stronger international cooperation is needed to address the global housing crisis, with approximately 3.4 billion people worldwide experiencing some form of inadequate housing, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
In making the call, Nga, who is also United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly president, said that more than 1.16 billion people lived in informal settlements, including slums, while 44 per cent of urban renters spent an unsustainable proportion of their income on rent.
“Governments must ensure that housing is affordable, safe, well-connected to public transport and employment opportunities, and supported by essential public amenities,” he said in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China, today.
