The first Monday in October was declared World Habitat Day more than 30 years ago by the United Nations General Assembly. The purpose of this day is to give recognition to the fact that every human deserves a decent place to live. The first World Habitat Day was celebrated in 1986 with the theme “Shelter is My Right”. Each year has had different themes such as “Shelter for the Homeless” (1987), “Future Cities” (1997), and “Better City, Better Life” (2010).
The theme for 2021 is “Accelerating Urban Action for a Carbon-Free World”. Cities are responsible for about 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, so there is a goal to create sustainable, carbon-neutral, inclusive cities and towns. World Habitat Day this year will partner with the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign, which rallies leadership to create a healthy zero carbon recovery to prevent future threats, create decent jobs and welcome sustainable growth.
Habitat for Humanity also brings awareness to World Habitat Day. They encourage use of the hashtag #WorldHabitatDay when posting on social media about the global housing crisis. They also run a Cost of Home campaign which creates a way for organizations and volunteers to work together so that millions have access to affordable housing. More information and how to get involved can be found by visiting the link above.
The official World Habitat Day for 2021 is October 4 and will be hosted in the country Cameroon. They present prestigious awards for a Scroll of Honour, recognizing those who have made outstanding contributions in the field of human settlements. The winners will receive an official plaque at the event and are listed here.
You can also visit here for a concept note PDF provided by UN Habitat with more statistics and details on raising awareness for World Habitat Day.
