Regional Housing Forum 2026 seeks to improve the design and implementation of policies, investments, and partnerships that expand access to quality housing.
WASHINGTON — The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is bringing together more than 3,500 government officials, business leaders, experts, and representatives of international organizations from across Latin America and the Caribbean, both in person and virtually, at the Fourth Regional Housing Forum 2026. The Forum convenes key stakeholders to exchange experiences, promote investment, and strengthen partnerships aimed at expanding access to adequate, resilient, and inclusive housing.
Latin America and the Caribbean faces a persistent housing deficit driven by demographic, labor market, and urban transformations. According to a new IDB study, 78% of this deficit is associated with inadequate housing conditions, overcrowding, insecure tenure, lack of basic services, and urban disconnection, rather than the absence of housing itself. In response to this challenge, the Forum provides a space to explore new solutions tailored to the diverse realities of households across the region.
“Improving the quality of existing homes and building the housing the region needs would require approximately $1.4 trillion, an investment scale that governments cannot achieve on their own. We need better policies, greater mobilization of private capital, and stronger efforts to translate knowledge and partnerships into concrete projects that reach more families. This Forum allows us to advance precisely in that direction,” said IDB Group President Ilan Goldfajn.
Since 2023, the IDB has financed over $1 billion in public-sector housing projects, while IDB Invest has approved or structured more than $750 million with banks, developers, and capital markets.
During the Forum, participants were introduced to a new methodology for measuring the housing deficit, as well as the Housing and Urban Intelligence (HUI) hub, developed in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The platform integrates key indicators on housing, urban development, and territorial systems. These tools improve the understanding of the region’s housing needs and support evidence-based policymaking and investment decisions.
As a culmination of the Forum’s agenda, on October 2 the IDB Group will convene more than 30 ministers and senior housing and urban development officials from across the region for the Regional Housing Policy Dialogue, a high-level forum designed to translate technical exchange into concrete priorities and actions.
The gathering reinforces the IDB Group’s role as a strategic partner and regional convener, capable of bringing together key housing policymakers to advance shared priorities, strengthen regional cooperation, and promote housing solutions that can be implemented and scaled across Latin America and the Caribbean.
About the IDB Group
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is the leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region’s public sector and also supports private sector development; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which fosters entrepreneurial innovation.
Emerson Santiago Ayala Mendoza
Communications Consultant
Urban Development and Housing
Helping cities in the region move towards more inclusive, resilient, and productive urbanization.