“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” That’s SDG 11, a cornerstone of Jennifer Borrero’s work as a Global Goals Ambassador with the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and Founder of the Youth Housing Coalition. A Colombian-Mexican born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, she remembers visiting her family in rural communities in Mexico. She saw firsthand the  different levels of access to equity and infrastructure throughout different countries.This was especially evident when her parents split up and her dad became homeless at one point. Witnessing this underscored “how important housing is and the fact that everyone deserves a place to live.”  

Through her work as a Global Goals Ambassador, Jennifer represents UNA-USA at conferences, summits, and events related to sustainable development. Bringing her global advocacy work home, she built a network of young and passionate people, particularly members of Gen Z who “could see themselves as future housing leaders.” The value-add that the Youth Housing Coalition is able to provide, explains Jennifer, is that it essentially provides “a community stewardship lens for real estate developments.” For example, “How can we ensure that there is zero displacement for people that have lived there for generations? How can we make sure that these developments are sustainable, and that the money being made from these developments is going back into the community?” 

When Jennifer has an opportunity to talk to students and young people in general, she does her best to share knowledge via an economic and racial equity lens. But like all of the 17 SDGs, Goal 11 is intersectional in nature; housing rights connect with climate and gender equality, along with access to food and healthcare, education, water and sanitation, and economic mobility. And she’s excited to continue those conversations as a UNA-USA Global Goals Ambassador this year and beyond. 

— Dynahlee Padilla-Vasquez, United Nations Foundation