Addressing Rapidly Expanding Urban Poverty

More than half of the world’s population, approximately 3.3 billion people, live in urban areas. Over the next 20 years, the percentage of urban dwellers living in the developing world will rise to 80 percent, and without concerted action, the majority will live in slums. One billion poor people currently contend with sub-standard housing, unsafe drinking water, insecure tenure and no access to basic sanitation, education and health services. Such conditions can serve as breeding grounds for disease and social instability. Despite these facts and potential consequences, urban poverty has been largely absent from the U.S. foreign assistance
agenda.

This policy brief includes recommendations and actions.