Holy See: Urban planning must address homelessness to promote human dignity

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Homelessness needs to be addressed in order to create sustainable cities that enable every person to flourish and that contribute to the common good, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations said in a message released on July 28, 2026.

“The persistence of homelessness should trouble the conscience of the international community,” the statement highlighted.

“Everybody deserves a place to call home, where they can build relationships, nurture family life, and participate fully in their community. Housing should therefore be viewed not just as a commodity or financial asset, but as a cornerstone of society at the service of the common good.”

The message was issued for the 2026 High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the New Urban Agenda, which is taking place in New York and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the adoption of this text. This document represents a shared vision for a sustainable future, focusing on well-planned and well-managed urbanization.

“When cities are shaped by solidarity, inclusion and care for those most in need, they become more than mere places of residence and of work; they become places of encounter, fraternity and hope,” the message continued.

Homelessness undermines the ability to exercise fundamental rights

The Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission quoted Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence, to underline how “development is truly human when it places people at the center.”

The delegation emphasized that “this principle should guide the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in the decade ahead.”

The Permanent Observer Mission then noted how an important “affront to human dignity” when it comes to urban development is homelessness.

“Not having a home means more than just lacking shelter; it means being deprived of security, stability, privacy, and a sense of belonging,” the statement explained. “Homelessness undermines the ability to exercise many fundamental human rights and often traps individuals and families in cycles of exclusion and poverty.”

Address the root causes of homelessness

The Holy See’s delegation thus encouraged cities and countries to invest more “in affordable and adequate housing, as well as integrated social services,” and address the root causes of homelessness, such “as poverty, unemployment, drug addiction, mental health issues, family breakdown, displacement and conflict.”

This must be done through “meaningful participation of local communities, civil society, faith-based organizations” and those who have experienced homelessness themselves.

The Mission also noted the importance of pushing for housing policies that promote an integrated approach which takes into consideration the “strong links between education, employment, housing and health.” “This will also help to prevent exclusion and segregation,” the message pointed out.

The Permanent Observer Mission also insisted on the importance of “renewed international solidarity” through international cooperation, technology transfer, capacity building and adequate financing, especially to help least developed countries that struggle with rapid urbanization.

Urban development cannot be measured solely by the height of its buildings

Lastly, the Holy See’s delegation noted how “urban development cannot be measured solely by the height of its buildings or the strength of its economy, but above all by its ability to enable every person to flourish by participating fully in society and contributing to the common good,” as every city is a community of people, each endowed with its God given-dignity.   

“Therefore, the true measure of a sustainable city lies in how it treats all its members, and, consequently, in its capacity to address multiple forms of poverty, persistent inequalities and environmental degradation,” the statement underlined.