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10 global solutions to homelessness and the housing crisis to give you hope for the future
From regenerating a city in the West Bank to giving homeless people personalised cash grants to turning banks into homes in Catalonia, the World Habitat Awards are shining a light on revolutionary projects taking on the housing crisis
Platform for Social Housing has changed how homelessness is viewed in Czech Republic but the battle for systemic change goes on. Image: Platform for Social Housing / World Habitat
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There are plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about the housing crisis but the annual World Habitat Awards showcase solutions – from cash grants for homeless people in Britain to rebuilding a city in the West Bank to allow displaced Palestinians to return.
The latest UN-Habitat estimates show 318 million people are homeless around the world but the annual World Habitat Awards highlight innovative fixes from all corners of the globe.
This year’s gold winners include the Platform for Social Housing, which has transformed Czech Republic’s homelessness response but is now facing up to a populist government that threatens the progress it has made through Housing First.
The other gold winner is the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee which has been restoring historic buildings to return them to use as safe, legally occupied homes, schools and businesses in Hebron’s Old City on the West Bank, allowing Palestinians to return.
There is a British winner too. Greater Change scooped a silver prize for its work in providing flexible cash grants to people experiencing homelessness and demonstrating that the approach can save taxpayers’ money.
David Ireland, CEO of World Habitat said: “Although this year’s winners span very different contexts, they are united by a commitment to people, community and sustainability. Each project offers innovations and practical lessons that can be adapted to work elsewhere.
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“We’re looking forward to supporting our new partners to strengthen, promote and transfer these solutions, so that more people in housing need can have a safe and secure home.”
Here’s a rundown of all 10 winners who demonstrate ways to address housing crises around the world.
The Platform for Social Housing was awarded gold for its central role in transforming the Czech Republic’s homelessness policy and practice.
The group has supported Housing First programmes in more than 20 Czech cities and shaped legislation, including last year’s Housing Support Act, which is intended to tackle homelessness and reduce the number of children without a stable home.
“Platform for Social Housing was initiated because, in the Czech Republic, there was a profound misunderstanding of what homelessness actually means and a lack of systemic solutions for those excluded from standard housing,” said Platform for Social Housing’s Barbora Bírová.
“For me, in 2013, it was very important to define homelessness and housing exclusion and one of the primary reasons for the initiative was because the public and politicians had a very narrow view of homelessness.”
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While Platform for Social Housing has shifted narratives in the country and led to more people receiving support after experiencing homelessness, it is still battling to change attitudes.
A family supported by Platform for Social Housing in the Czech Republic. Image: Platform for Social Housing / World Habitat
The Czech Republic was at “a crossroads” before the legislation was introduced, said Bírová, with failure to act leading to rising homelessness.
But now Platform for Social Housing is urging the Czech Republic’s populist right-wing government not to narrow the scope of the bill as part of anti-immigration stance.
Last week the group joined 140 others in writing an open letter to Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš warning that changes to the act exclude people, most notably Ukrainians who have fled to the country following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“It weakens essential support mechanisms and undermines access to adequate housing for children, single-parent families, older people and people with disabilities,” said Bírová.
The markets and infrastructure in Al Qasabeh have been rehabilitated. Image: Hebron Rehabilitation Committee
Since 2013, Hebron Rehabilitation Committee’s has rehabilitated more than 1,400 traditional stone houses, enabling displaced Palestinian families to return to the West Bank city and helping stabilise areas that had been left vacant and at risk of illegal occupation.
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By keeping homes lived in and maintained, the project plays an important role in preventing deterioration and illegal settlement in Hebron’s Old City. Housing is not treated as a standalone intervention, but as part of a wider system that includes legal advocacy, safeguarding measures, public space improvement, and support for local businesses and services.
Kids playing in the rehabilitated open area of their home in Hebron. Image: Hebron Rehabilitation Committee / World Habitat
The work also helps to preserve the Old City’s recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Markets, streets and public spaces have been restored alongside housing, helping to re-establish everyday life in an area of high historic significance.
Mohannad Jabare, general director of Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, said “We are deeply honoured to receive the World Habitat Award, recognising decades of commitment to dignified housing, heritage protection, and community resilience in Hebron / Al-Khalil World Heritage Site. This recognition reinforces our determination to continue restoring homes and inspiring global efforts to safeguard heritage while enabling communities to thrive.”
Greater Change earned a silver prize for providing personalised cash grants to people experiencing homelessness in a mission to change how money is spent in tackling the issue.
Funding traditional homelessness services, such as emergency and temporary accommodation in hotels and B&Bs, to support rising numbers of people finding themselves homeless is expensive.
In 2024-25, local authorities in England spent £2.8 billion on temporary accommodation with the costs putting some council budgets on the brink of bankruptcy.
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Verity, pictured with son Charlie, has received cash support from Greater Change to help herself out of homelessness. Image: Greater Change / World Habitat
Greater Change’s solution is to give flexible cash grants to people experiencing homelessness, meaning that people can get cash to help them with what they need to lift themselves out of poverty.
It’s a potentially controversial idea: giving money to people experiencing homelessness is heavily stigmatised. But Jonathan Tan, co-founder and CEO of Greater Change, told Big Issue that a £1,397 investment per person can save £41,330 by freeing up accommodation and reducing pressure on health and criminal justice systems.
“The evidence doesn’t show an increase in the instances of drink or substance use,” Tan told Big Issue. In fact, we know from our statistics that it helps people actually improve their health and reduce substance dependency.
“We have seen a lot of very good international evidence that using cash transfers to help people overcome these barriers is a really dignified and effective way to lift people out of poverty. And when we say dignified, we just mean it’s giving people power, the right to decide about things in their own lives.
“It’s the power to decide what color couch you have in your house. It’s the power to decide what you want for your meal today. Money is power in our society and when you give people money, that’s giving them power.”
As Big Issue reported last summer, Greater Change is currently trialling personalised budgets for former rough sleepers living in temporary accommodation as part of Centre for Homelessness Impact’s UK government-backed Test and Learn programme.
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The results of the trial are expected to be published later this year but early indications are positive.
Greater Change is planning to support an additional 2,500 people in the next two years, reaching 130,000 beneficiaries in the next decade.
“I think it’s that growing sense of slowly moving the idea into the mainstream,” said Tan, who co-founded Greater Change in 2017 after developing the idea while volunteering at a homelessness charity. “I think at the end of the day, that’s what we’re talking about, right? It’s about having to turn this into an acceptable mainstream idea.”
“What we need to do is we need to raise more money to help more people, because scale helps us to have that policy conversation. It’s harder to ignore us if we have scale.
The community led redevelopment of the Sanjaynagar informal settlement in Ahmednagar, India, also earned a silver prize. Community Design Agency’s project includes residents at all stages of design and development as it aims to create dignified homes built to withstand the changing climate. Work is also carried out in-situ, meaning people are not displaced away from their communities and at risk of losing connections to livelihoods, social networks and culture.
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The regeneration of Taihe Old Town Historic and Cultural Block in Sichuan Province is managing restoration and regeneration. Image: Tsinghua University / World Habitat
The regeneration of Taihe Old Town Historic and Cultural Block in Sichuan Province earned a bronze award for its systematic approach to cultural heritage conservation and regeneration. Works preserved historic buildings while improving living conditions, infrastructure and economic opportunities, thereby encouraging residents to return, revitalising the community.
Hameaux Légers is rethinking rural housing. Image: Hameaux Légers / World Habitat
Hameaux Légers – or Lightweight Hamlets – was recognised for its pioneering model of building lightweight, environmentally responsible rural housing in France. Built on public land and protected from speculation, the homes, which can be moved or dismantled, provide long-term affordability while meeting strict environmental standards.
Les Juntes cooperative is creating homes out of former banks. Image: Les Juntes cooperative / World Habitat
The Les Juntes housing cooperative in L’Hospitalet, Catalonia, achieved the ultimate Robin Hood-style housing project, converting properties formerly owned by banks into cooperative homes for people at risk of homelessness. Residents include undocumented migrants and female-headed households and they collaborate with fellow cooperative members under a democratic, mutual-support model.
Homes built from bamboo are transforming lives in Myanmar against the backdrop of climate and conflict fears. Image: NGO Housing NOW / World Habitat
NGO Housing NOW impressed with its low-cost, low-carbon bamboo housing for people displaced by conflict and climate disasters in Myanmar. The community-led approach allows locals to build up skills and enables people to construct and strengthen their own homes in difficult-to-access settings.
A family housed through Mutual Housing California’s project. Image: Mutual Housing California / World Habitat
Mutual Housing California with Habitat for Humanity Greater Sacramento was awarded for mixed-income affordable housing development that prevented homelessness in South Sacramento. The American project prioritised long-term affordability, strong partnerships and community development to keep a roof above residents’ ahead.
CARE’s ‘Build Back Safer’ project is helping women build homes to resist the climate crisis. Image: CARE’s ‘Build Back Safer’ project / World Habitat
CARE’s ‘Build Back Safer’ project
Vanuatu has faced devastating cyclones and CARE’s ‘Build Back Safer’ project is empowering communities – particularly women – to lead safer reconstruction. The project provides training, shelter kits and community leadership to strengthen resilience in remote island communities where the reality of the climate crisis is already biting.
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