UN -World Habitat Day was held on Monday, October 5, 2009. The annual event was held this year in Washington, D.C., the first time a U.S. city has hosted the global event. Jon Bon Jovi was invited as a special guest & keynote speaker to help shine a light on affordable housing, sustainable development and better urban planning.
Secretary Shaun Donovan of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme, UN-HABITAT, co-hosted the program which was intended to help promote affordable housing and sustainable urban development. The program included a video message from President Obama among the speakers.
According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.
Worldwide, more than 2 million housing units per year are needed for the next 50 years to solve the present worldwide housing crisis. With our global population expanding, however, at the end of those 50 years, there would still be a need for another 1 billion houses.
Raising awareness and advocating for change are the first steps toward transforming systems that perpetuate the global plague of poverty housing. World Habitat Day serves as an important reminder that everyone must unite to ensure that everyone has a safe, decent place to call home.
Jon Bon Jovi’s comments about the work of the JBJ Soul Foundation and our work in the communities across the country was punctuated by a call to action. He encouraged all to become part of “The Power of WE” and to get involved, at any level, in revitalizing their communities.
CLICK HERE to read a copy of Jon Bon Jovi’s speech from this event
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