Sustainable legal frameworks for adequate housing

As global urbanization accelerates and nearly half of the world’s population now resides in cities, pressures on national and local housing systems are intensifying. Across regions, urban residents continue to face persistent barriers to accessing adequate housing, highlighting the urgent need for strong and effective legal frameworks to support the progressive realization of SDG 11 and the right to adequate housing for all. In this context, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS), UK in partnership with UN-Habitat proposes to use this platform to convene the 13th annual Urban Law Day to advance dialogue on strengthening housing legal frameworks that support inclusive and sustainable urban development. The event will feature key insights on effective housing frameworks and a comparative exchange between Cambodia and Lesotho, with a focus on the processes required to shape effective housing legal frameworks. Cambodia’s rapid urban growth is driving housing demand far beyond existing supply, contributing to the expansion of inadequate housing settlements across cities and towns. Despite ongoing policy initiatives, Cambodia currently lacks a comprehensive legal framework capable of coordinating and sustaining inclusive housing development. In response to this gap, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC) has requested UN-Habitat’s support to develop a coherent and effective housing law. Lesotho offers an emerging example of progress. Through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police (MoLGCHP), the country has advanced efforts to modernize and regulate its housing sector. Its draft Housing Law seeks to respond to growing urban housing needs, enhance quality of life, strengthen tenure security, and address the increasing impacts of climate change on human settlements. IALS and UN-Habitat supported the drafting of this legislative framework. A comparative review of global housing and rental legislation identified adaptable legal models suited to Lesotho’s context and informed the drafting of the Housing Bill. Against this backdrop, this networking event aims to: a) Provide a platform for South–South learning and exchange on housing legal reforms, fostering collaboration among government counterparts and non-State actors. b) Discuss international principles and legislative drafting practices for effective housing laws that promote sustainable urban development.