Access to shelter is a top priority for refugees and migrants in-destination and in-transit. Social and physical barriers have led to a dramatic increase in people in situations of homelessness, facing evictions, living in overcrowded or inadequate housing, and having to move to peripheral areas or informal settlements.

Additionally, numerous migrants and refugees are experiencing double or triple affectation due to escalating insecurity, violence and the consequences of climate change in their host countries. Approximately 73 per cent of refugees and migrants in destination live in rented accommodation, reaching around 90 per cent in Argentina, Ecuador and Panama. They encounter major obstacles such as high rental costs, financial constraints, difficulties accessing housing subsidies and strict rental requirements, such as having a regular status, proof of income or securing a guarantor. These challenges often lead to precarious living conditions. In 2024, around 20 per cent of households reported being at risk of eviction or having been evicted (see infographic). These conditions expose refugees and migrants to a situation of pronounced vulnerability, aggravated by informal rental agreements, discrimination, xenophobia, and lack of information about the rental market. This intersects with other vulnerabilities which can aggravate their situation. In Brazil, indigenous migrants and refugees are five times more likely to face eviction compared to the total surveyed refugee and migrant population. Over a quarter of households surveyed were living in overcrowded conditions, contrasting with a lower percentage of the national populations. For example, in Chile, 32 per cent of Venezuelan migrants and refugees were in this situation against approximately three per cent of the national population. These circumstances not only compromise the refugees and migrants’ wellbeing, making them feel unsafe where they live, but also expose them to risks of GBV, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Access to safe and adequate temporary housing is an important challenge for refugees and migrants engaging in onward and transit movements. Many of those surveyed in-transit reported having resorted to sleeping on the streets or in public spaces, exposing them to GBV, robbery, and health risks, particularly LGBTQI+ people and those with disabilities. Temporary collective accommodations cannot always meet the demand, such as in Chile where closure of collective shelters has led to a critical shortage of emergency accommodation. Limited numbers, capacities or inadequate infrastructure also complicate availability and overall safety. The situation of collective emergency shelters is exacerbated by the accommodation needs of those engaging in onward and transit movements, including from other nationalities.

Living conditions are also impacted by the lack of access to essential household items for refugees and migrants, such as cooking and sleeping items. This impacts their performance of their daily tasks both in-transit and in-destination. On average, 49 per cent of migrants and refugees in the region reported not having access to these items, reaching 90 per cent in the case of Ecuador.

The Shelter Sector, reflective of the second greatest need among refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean, it will prioritize four key areas of intervention to assist migrants and refugees while they are in-transit and upon reaching their destination, as well as affected host community members, with:  

1. Access to individual housing solutions, such as short and long-term rental assistance and accommodation in guesthouses, hotels and hostels and rental assistance. 

2. Improve temporary collective shelters:  Partners will focus on improving the infrastructure and supporting the management of collective shelters.

3. Improvement of community infrastructure, such as refurbishment of public spaces, for example, stairs, parks, public canteens and public squares. Area-based interventions, which focus on specific settlements and adopt community-focused approaches. 

4. Increase access to essential household items: The response will include the distribution of essential household items, such as cooking and sleeping items, to support refugees’ and migrants' daily tasks both in-destination and during transit.  

    

The shelter response emphasizes providing technical guidance to national authorities, public institutions, and civil society organizations on creating emergency shelter strategies and enhancing minimum standards in infrastructure and management of collective shelters. This response also focuses on collaborating with local authorities to include refugees and migrants in public policies.