Local governments commit to housing justice at the 2026 UCLG World Congress

The World Congress of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), held in Tangier, Morocco, from the 22nd to the 25th of June, produced concrete commitments from local and regional governments (LRGs) to advance housing justice as a key lever of transformation for a “new generation of universal public services.” 

Every three years, the UCLG Congress brings together mayors, governors, public officials and civil society and multilateral partners to take decisions on the collective agenda of the municipalist movement and shape pathways for a new generation of universal local public services. In 2026, the Congress arrives at a time when geopolitical tensions, increased isolationism and challenges to international law are undermining multilateral structures, and crises like rising inequalities and climate breakdown are placing further pressure on often already strained public services.  

The decisions at the Congress reflected the centrality of housing to tackle today’s global challenges. Housing injustices remain one of the clearest manifestations of systems that are not delivering for people nor for the planet. While housing systems are influenced by national frameworks and dynamics outside of the competencies of local and regional governments, there are a wide range of policy tools and strategies that can be adopted at the local level to shape housing futures and fulfill people’s right to adequate housing.  

The housing crisis—manifested in difficulties accessing urban land and adequate housing, displacement, territorial exclusion, and a lack of access to services and infrastructure—is structural in nature and requires integrated responses... Housing is not merely a living situation or a housing solution; it is also a platform for the development of more equitable life trajectories, the exercise of rights, and the building of community. 

- Mario Bergara, Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay

The Local Social Covenant

Through the Town Hall process, the Letters from the Local Social Covenant featured a series of correspondences between elected officials and civil society on central issues, like climate justice or finance. On housing, a group of leaders including the Mayors of Montevideo, Rabat, Mexico City, and Barcelona – responding to a first letter by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) - recognised the urgency to act on the global housing crisis, and laid out various commitments for LRGs to advance this agenda, including: 

• Affirming housing as a fundamental human right and a public common good; 

• Addressing discrimination in access to housing as a central priority; 

• Preventing forced evictions and protecting residents from displacement 

• Placing residents’ participation at the centre of housing policy design and decision-making” 

• Strengthening financing systems that prioritise social value over speculation; 

• Unlocking housing’s potential as a powerful enabler of broader policy outcomes; and 

• Reaffirming the importance of ensuring that these shared political priorities translate into practical implementation on the ground.  

As a response, partners of the Hub for Housing Justice came together to produce a letter offering concrete actions for local and regional governments to bring these commitments to life. These offer pathways for more effective housing policies and enhance partnerships between LRGs and civil society to recognise, protect and fulfill the right to adequate housing. 

Renewed commitments for housing justice

Drawing from these exchanges, the Congress ended with renewed commitments and a strong mandate to advance housing justice. The Tangier outcome document identifies housing justice as a mission of transformation, with leaders committing to “transforming housing systems so they serve people, rather than driving speculation, commodification, and exclusion.” During the Congress, UCLG members also approved the establishment of the Housing Justice Academy, a platform for political mobilisation, peer learning and collaboration to advance housing justice. If these steps are taken seriously and LRGs take ownership of the housing justice agenda, they will demonstrate the power of local action not just in building more equitable cities but in driving systemic global transformation.  

Read the letter on housing justice and other publications by the Hub for Housing Justice under Publications.