Financing Urban Shelter presents the first global assessment of housing finance systems, placing shelter and urban development challenges within the overall context of macroeconomic policies. The report describes and analyses housing finance conditions and trends in all regions of the world, including formal housing finance mechanisms, microfinance and community funding highlighting their relevance to the upgrading of slums. Recent shelter finance policy development is discussed at the international and national levels, and directions that could be taken to strengthen shelter finance systems are examined.

The Global Report on Human Settlements is the most authoritative and up-to-date assessment of the conditions and trends in the world's cities. It is an essential tool and reference for researchers, academics, public authorities and civil society organizations around the world. The preceding issues of the Global Report on Human Settlements have addressed such topics as An Urbanizing World, Cities in a Globalizing World and The Challenges of Slums.