World Habitat Awards

Overview

The World Habitat Awards competition has been run by World Habitat in partnership with UN-Habitat since 1985. In that time some of the world’s most remarkable and innovative housing projects have received international recognition for their work. 

For 2025, they will be presenting Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards to the most outstanding projects and programmes.

The two GOLD Award-winning projects receive:

• a trophy in recognition of their work to develop and deliver good practice in housing;
• prize money of £10,000;
• follow-up support from World Habitat through their exChange programme; and
• entry to the World Habitat Awards Network, along with the Silver and Bronze winners.

Eligibility

They want to hear about projects from around the world that:

• focus on affordable and adequate housing;
• have taken action to address the climate emergency;
• are in progress or have been completed in the last ten years;
• are taking steps to promote diversity, equality and inclusion; and
• have been designed and/ or delivered in close collaboration with the residents/ local community

Please note that projects at design/ prototype/ planning stage or completed over ten years ago will not be considered.

• Entry is free
• Between eight and 12 projects that demonstrate exceptional work in providing or promoting access to adequate housing are shortlisted as finalists each year.
• Up to four projects are then visited by a small evaluation team before recommendations are presented to a panel of external judges, including the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).
• In the final stage two projects become Gold winners and the remaining either Silver or Bronze winners.

Criteria

Each entry to the World Habitat Awards goes through a thorough process. They need each entry to demonstrate a number of different factors.

Impact

• What has your project achieved?
• To what extent has your project improved lives and met the right to adequate housing, particularly for people with few choices?

Innovation

• What makes your project different?
• Is it working in a particularly challenging context, or using a new or little-used approach to housing?

Environmental Sustainability

• Is your project compatible with Sustainable Development Goal 13 – action to combat climate change and its effects?
• Does it positively impact on the environment and the wider society?
• Is your organisation implementing measures to reduce its carbon footprint?

Viability and Transferability

• Is your project capable of continuing over the long-term? Or have its impacts sustained after completion?
• Can your idea or approach be used to solve similar challenges elsewhere?
• Was it inspired by another project or idea – which you have developed for your own specific situation?

Significance

• Are you tackling an issue which is particularly current, urgent or neglected?

If you are in any doubt whether your project is eligible, please message them at info@world-habitat.org.