PETALING JAYA: About 3.4 billion people worldwide experience some form of housing inadequacy, with more than 1.16 billion people living in informal settlements including slums, says Nga Kor Ming.
In making the call for stronger international cooperation to address the global housing crisis and ensure access to adequate and affordable housing for all, the Housing and Local Government Minister said 44% of urban renters worldwide spend an unsustainable proportion of their income on rent, reflecting the growing pressure of rising housing costs and widening social inequalities.
“Housing is the foundational soil from which all human capability grows. It is where our children form their earliest ambitions, where working parents recharge their spirit, and where our senior citizens enjoy the honour they have earned over a lifetime.
“When a household enjoys a secure roof, every aspect of life stabilises. Health improves, educational outcomes soar, and economic confidence takes root,” said Nga in his keynote address at the opening of Global Observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China, on Sunday (Oct 31).
Nga, who is also president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, stressed that addressing the housing crisis requires more than simply constructing additional homes.
He said the government must ensure that housing is affordable, safe, well-connected to public transport and employment opportunities, and supported by essential public amenities.
Held under the theme “Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All”, the event is jointly organised by UN-Habitat, China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Fujian Provincial People’s Government and the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government.
Sharing Malaysia's experience, Nga highlighted the Malaysia Madani vision, the country's housing reform agenda and the National Housing Policy 2026–2035 as key initiatives to improve housing accessibility and promote sustainable urban development.
He said the Federal Government has set a target of delivering one million affordable homes between 2026 and 2035, reflecting its commitment to expanding homeownership opportunities and improving the quality of life for Malaysians, making the country top 10 in the world in respect of home ownership by 2035.
He highlighted the RM60bil Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (SJKP), which facilitates access to home financing for 150,000 individuals without conventional income documentation, alongside efforts to promote transit-oriented development and climate-resilient urban renewal.
The success of a city should not be measured merely by the height of its skyline or the scale of its construction, but by the liveability of its neighbourhoods and the quality of its public spaces, he added.
Nga said that housing must remain people-centred and that urban regeneration must drive climate action by using energy-efficient technologies and expanding green spaces.
He called on governments, international organisations and the private sector to strengthen partnerships in advancing affordable housing, green development and sustainable urban regeneration.
“Policy without execution is merely good intention, vision without action is only a dream,” he added.
