Housing Policy Specialist

Result of Service

The consultant will be responsible for providing support in all the steps of the data management process and preparing evidence-based inputs on international and domestic housing policies, as well as supporting applied research and knowledge management activities. Under the guidance of the UN-Habitat Canada Office team, the consultant will consolidate research outputs and knowledge products that strengthen the office’s housing programme and contribute to the global exchange of Canadian expertise on sustainable and inclusive housing and urban development.

Work Location

Montreal

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

UN-Habitat is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

The Canada Office of UN-Habitat strengthens the organization’s mission by serving as a focal point for partnerships, applied research, and policy engagement in Canada and across North America for the implementation of UN-Habitat’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. Operating from the City of Montreal, the Canada Office plays a central role in four domains: partner engagement and resource mobilization; research-policy-action interface; advocacy and communication; and the advancement of sustainable urbanization agendas within the Canadian and North American context.

The Canada Office places particular emphasis on knowledge and innovation with a view to accelerating housing solutions that are affordable, adequate, resilient, and compatible with national and global commitments.

In alignment with its housing and urban development priorities, the Canada Office also contributes to UN-Habitat’s global efforts to strengthen intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation on housing in close cooperation with UN-Habitat's Land, Housing and Shelter Section in Nairobi, Kenya. This includes supporting the work of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All (OWEG-H), which aims to advance a shared understanding and actionable recommendations for realizing the right to adequate housing within the framework of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through evidence-based research, policy engagement, and partnership-building, the Canada Office helps ensure that global innovations and lessons inform and enrich the OEWG-H’s deliberations and outputs.

UN-Habitat Canada Office is seeking motivated, highly skilled, and experienced professionals to join the team. The position is initially offered as a six-month contract, with the possibility of extension based on a positive performance evaluation.

Reporting line This on-site position is fulltime, and is based in Montreal, Canada. This mid-level position is under the overall guidance of the Head of Office of the UN-Habitat Canada Office and report directly to the Programme Management Officer (P4), Human Settlements. Applicants must be Canadian residents or citizens or have permission to work in Canada.

Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities:

1. Conduct applied and comparative research on housing market policies, governance arrangements, and regulatory frameworks across OECD and selected global contexts.
2. Design and implement policy research methodologies (quantitative and qualitative) to analyze multi-level governance, fiscal, and regulatory approaches affecting housing markets and affordability.
3. Draft analytical papers, technical notes, and policy briefs synthesizing comparative insights on effective housing policy instruments, institutional coordination, and innovation models relevant for Canada and international partners.
4. Examine and document policy drivers, barriers, and enablers influencing market housing supply, including land-use regulation, not-for-profit housing, infrastructure financing, labour policy, and environmental and climate factors.
5. Integrate equity and inclusion perspectives—including accessibility, Indigenous-led models, and affordability—into all aspects of the comparative policy framework and outputs.
6. Contribute to the preparation of case studies highlighting successful housing supply reforms, construction innovation, and policy coordination across selected OECD countries.
7. Support intergovernmental policy dialogues and expert consultations under the Open-Ended Working Group on the Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All.
8. Analyze and summarize findings for dissemination through UN-Habitat and other global knowledge exchange platforms.
9. Support development of knowledge products and digital tools, including databases and visualization materials documenting housing policy models, data sources, and indicators related to adequacy, accessibility, and climate performance.
10. Contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of project progress, deliverables, and lessons learned, ensuring consistency with Canadian and UN-Habitat research standards.
11. Engage with academic, public sector, and private stakeholders to strengthen research partnerships and validate findings on policy innovation and implementation.
12. Prepare briefings and recommendations to inform Canada’s housing policy reform and UN-Habitat’s global housing agenda, linking national and international policy insights.
13. Support the synthesis and dissemination of findings through workshops, presentations, and digital platforms, ensuring knowledge transfer across government, research, and civil society partners.
14. Provide support in preparing inputs for major domestic and global events, including the World Urban Forum, the High-Level Political Forum, the Mid-Term Review of the New Urban Agenda and other key international convenings.
15. Provide support to the Canada Office across general functions, including communications, advocacy, and overall administrative and management activities.

Qualifications/special skills

A Master’s degree in Urban Studies, Housing Policy,, Urban Planning, Geography, Economics, International Development, Social Policy, or a related field with a focus on housing policy research is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Desirable specializations include: housing systems and policy analysis, including supply, governance, and regulatory frameworks; Comparative and applied research methods (quantitative and qualitative) for housing policy evaluation; Policy innovation, intergovernmental coordination, and knowledge product development for national and international contexts.

A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in applied research and policy analysis, including designing and implementing quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, survey design, and documenting and communicating research outputs is required. Demonstrated ability to conduct comparative and applied research on housing supply, adequacy, and affordability; synthesize complex information; and present findings in formats accessible to policymakers, practitioners, and diverse audiences is required. Experience analyzing and applying frameworks or standards of housing models in OECD countries is required. Proven experience drafting analytical papers, technical notes, policy briefs, and case studies, with strong report writing, reviewing, and editorial skills is required. Experience contributing to national or international projects on housing supply systems is desirable. Experience within the United Nations Common System or other international organizations is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the official working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Proficiency and/or fluency in French is highly desirable, and knowledge of another official UN language is considered an additional asset.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.