# Engaging youth to create a better urban future

Sponsored by UN Habitat

**A World Habitat Day message by Anacláudia Rossbach, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat**

This World Habitat Day, we celebrate **you **–** the young, the brave, and the change makers of today and tomorrow. **You are the heartbeat of our cities, the force driving us toward a better future.

As baby-boomers and Generation X pass the baton, we need millennials and Gen Z to step up and shape our world.

World Habitat Day was set up by the UN General Assembly to reflect on the state of cities and human settlements, and the right to adequate housing. But today, we invite you not simply to reflect, but to ACT.

This year’s theme, “** Engaging youth to create a better urban future**”, calls on young people to lead the way in shaping a world that reflects our shared dreams. Adequate and equitable housing is not just a right; it must become a reality for all.

We live in a time of multiple crises: Housing, conflict, and climate. **One billion people** are struggling in slums, and over **300 million** face the unbearable reality of homelessness.

These are not just numbers. They are young families, your friends, and your peers, calling out for safety, dignity, and hope.

Sustainable urban planning and housing are the heart of our fight for a better urban future. Housing is the foundation of sustainable development. It impacts everything from poverty reduction and gender equality to climate action. And it **empowers you, the youth**, to build the future you deserve.

On this World Habitat Day, we invite **you **to engage **with us **to find solutions and ensure that the right to housing and sustainable cities and communities is our reality.

Together, we can create a world where no one is left behind.