Habitat for Humanity and United Cities and Local Governments in Africa (UCLG) Africa partner for sustainable urbanization
Cairo, Egypt — On the sidelines of the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12), themed “It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities,” Habitat for Humanity Africa Area Office and United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote affordable housing, sustainable urban development, and climate resilience across Africa.
The MoU was signed by UCLG Africa Secretary General Ambassador Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi and Habitat for Humanity International Vice President of Program Effectiveness, Luis Noda, in the presence of Ambassador Mohamed Higazy, Director of North Africa Regional Office, UCLGA, Daphney Nkosi, National Director at Habitat for Humanity South Africa, and Grace Ananda, Policy and Advocacy Manager at Habitat for Humanity Africa Area Office, among others.
From left to right: Amb. Mohamed Higazy, Amb. Jean-Pierre Mbassi, Luis Noda; and Grace Ananda during the signing of the agreement.
The MoU outlines our shared commitment to fostering safe, resilient, and inclusive urban spaces through initiatives that support affordable housing, strengthen local governance, and enhance climate resilience, especially through the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (BCRUP) program. Key areas of collaboration for this partnership include:
- Knowledge sharing: The partnership will focus on developing tools and resources to support affordable housing and sustainable urban living, including BCRUP implementation, slum transformation, tenure security, climate change, infrastructure development and emergency response.
- Advocacy: Promoting awareness of sustainable housing solutions and secure tenure, as well as showcasing best practices to foster socially, economically, and culturally inclusive urban communities. This will also include the engagement of HFHI within the Home Equals Campaign.
- Capacity building: Strengthening technical skills for stakeholders in the housing ecosystem—governments, private sectors, local entrepreneurs, and civil society—aimed at advancing affordable housing solutions.
- Local engagement: Supporting projects that address issues such as climate adaptation, land tenure security, and health impacts within communities.
- Resource mobilization: Collaborating on funding efforts to support the BCRUP initiative and other joint activities at various levels.
- Convening stakeholders: Facilitating engagement within the housing ecosystem around green social housing efforts, including organizing webinars and symposia.
- Coalition participation: Enhancing involvement in strategic coalitions like Cities Alliance and housing forums to support funding and partnership opportunities.
- Regional and national collaboration: Encouraging closer cooperation between Habitat for Humanity and UCLG Africa’s offices to tackle urbanization challenges collectively.
- Climate action: Committing to initiatives that help communities mitigate and adapt to climate impacts.
The MoU outlines our commitment to fostering safe, resilient, and inclusive urban spaces through initiatives that support affordable housing, strengthen local governance, and enhance climate resilience.
This MoU marks a significant step towards achieving the New Urban Agenda and reinforces Habitat for Humanity’s commitment to empowering communities across Africa. Together, we aim to drive impactful change for a sustainable, resilient future.