The United Nations (UN) established Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address international, systemic issues and inequities such as poverty, climate change, sustainable development of human settlements, healthcare, and more. Global homelessness is a shared issue that directly intersects with every SDG; however, homelessness is not included in any of the 17 SDGs and their 169 indicators.

To share progress and challenges towards achieving the SDGs, UN Member States are encouraged to publish periodic reports called Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).

In this report, we reviewed every VNR submitted in 2024 or 2025 to assess the extent and nature of reporting on homelessness, highlighting where countries are taking action, how homelessness is being measured, and where significant gaps remain. In doing so, it demonstrates both the limitations of the current SDG framework and the opportunities for strengthening global efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

Author

River Smith | Research Assistant, Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH)