Dialogue 6 - A New Deal for Housing Finance (WUF13).
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities . What would it take to unlock inclusive and sustainable housing finance at a scale? The session will unfold in three parts, initially will set the economic context, framing housing as a macro-critical development sector. Keynote interventions from senior leaders in international finance will then examine what challenges the development actors need to confront and why existing housing finance systems are failing to deliver affordability, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. A moderated panel will then bring together policymakers, city leaders, multilateral development banks, and practitioners to discuss concrete reform pathways. Panelists will explore how fiscal policy, land governance, planning systems, and financial regulation can be better aligned to support affordable h...