International Mayors Council addresses homelessness

Newswise — ​CHICAGO — According to a 2023 United Nations Secretary General report, an estimated 1.6 billion people globally live in inadequate housing. The report warns the ongoing effects of climate change, war, civil unrest, and global economic uncertainty will worsen the problem.

A growing initiative, the International Mayors Council on Homelessness, recently met in Paris and signed a joint declaration to work together to address homelessness. The council, created in 2023, is a forum for leaders to discuss the most pressing challenges, share evidence on tactics that have worked, and bring mayoral perspectives into the UN agenda. The council includes mayors and other elected leaders from more than a dozen cities across three continents.

The council is a partnership between DePaul University’s Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness in Chicago, USA, and The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Mayors from Chicago, Illinois; London, England; Paris, France; São Paulo, Brazil; Helsinki, Finland; and Glasgow, Scotland, are among those represented on the council.

“Across all of these global contexts, mayoral leadership on homelessness is a critical factor in making progress on the issue,” said Lydia Stazen, executive director of the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness. “Many mayors face challenges including lack of funding, complicated housing laws, and disconnects between local and national social services, so the council aims to power and equip mayors to tackle the issue locally and help advocate for their work,” Stazen added.

The council first convened online in June 2023 and has met virtually over the course of the year to hear from experts, exchange evidence based best practices, and to jointly develop a declaration of their commitment to addressing homelessness.

"Over the last four years, the international community has strongly recognized the central importance of addressing homelessness, endorsing a set of UN resolutions that acknowledge the issue can be solved, especially with the involvement and support of cities and local authorities," said Erfan Ali, Chief of Staff of UN-Habitat.

At the special invitation of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a member of the council, the International Mayors Council on Homelessness gathered June 20 in Paris to sign a joint declaration affirming each leader’s commitment to ending homelessness locally, regionally, and globally and commit to a two-year workplan.

“Homelessness is one of the most urgent challenges that all mayors face on a daily basis,” said Hidalgo. “We as leaders have a moral obligation to support, protect and serve everyone who lives, works and visits our cities, including our most vulnerable populations who aren’t sure where they’ll sleep that night or when their next meal might come. To be sure, the cost of inaction in the area of homelessness is far greater than the cost of acting.

“I’m eager to join my colleagues from around the world in saying that there is nothing inevitable about homelessness, and we are ready to tackle it head on,” Hidalgo added.

Founded in 2014, the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness is the first organization to focus on homelessness as a global phenomenon with an emphasis on those who are living on the street or in emergency shelters. In 2017, IGH launched the first Vanguard Cities cohort, which featured 13 cities across six continents making a commitment to significantly reduce or end street homelessness in their communities. The cohort has since expanded to more than 18 communities, including its first two Vanguard countries, Uruguay and Mongolia.

One of the inaugural Vanguard Cities, Greater Manchester, England, has seen street homelessness decrease 58% under Mayor Andy Burnham, chair of the International Mayors Council on Homelessness. Other Vanguard Cities highlights include Glasgow reducing street homelessness to less than 10 individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Tshwane, South Africa passing their first city council policy on homelessness.

Chicago is one of the original Vanguard Cities to join the International Mayors Council on Homelessness.

“In Chicago, we believe that housing is a human right," said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. "We are proud to join mayors from across the globe who are working to find viable solutions to the crises of homelessness and housing insecurity. By signing this declaration, we commit to working collaboratively to both share the strategies that have worked in Chicago and to learn from successful initiatives in other major cities.”

In 2023, IGH became one of 16 Sector Partners to join Homewards; Prince William and The Royal Foundation’s landmark homelessness program. This five-year program aims to demonstrate that together it’s possible to end homelessness, by working with six flagship locations across the UK, giving them the tools, capacity and expertise to focus on preventing and ending homelessness. At the heart of the program is shared learning, and Sheffield Councillor Tom Hunt and Lambeth Councillor Claire Holland are the first from the Homewards locations to join the International Mayors Council to share their learnings globally.

“Unfortunately, we see homelessness increasing right now in most parts of the world,” said Stazen. “However, the launch of the Mayors Council brings me hope as so many mayors are recognizing that they have the power to address homelessness and that they can support each other in their joint efforts.”

IGH and UN-Habitat are actively recruiting mayors or equivalent high-level local elected officials to join the council and increase their dedication to addressing homelessness. More about the council and a list of participating leaders is available online​.

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