HIC emerges from the Habitat Forum, a committee of NGOs created to give a central role to the civil society during the first United Nations Conference on human settlements (Habitat 1) in Vancouver.

The institutionalization of a HIC Board with a General Secretariat located in The Netherlands. The institutional registration of HIC was done in 1984.

Under the framework of the UN Conference in Nairobi and the Habitat Forum in Berlin during the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, HIC transforms into an International Coalition and centers its work in the Global South. The General Secretariat is set up in Mexico City.

During the UN Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 140 organizations from around the world signed the Treaty Towards Just Democratic and Sustainable Cities, Towns and Villages.

The Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (City Summit) is held in Istanbul. HIC influenced the inclusion of the right to adequate housing in the Habitat Agenda.  During that time, HIC revised its strategy, mission and organizational structure, which led to the adoption of a New Constitution (1997).

HIC organized the First World Assembly of Inhabitants in Mexico. Community organizations and popular urban movements gathered together to define a common strategy for mobilization on a global scale.

HIC has participated in every WSF: Porto Alegre 2002 and 2003; Mumbai 2004; Porto Alegre 2005; Bamako, Caracas and Karachi 2006; Nairobi 2007; Belem 2009; and Dakar 2011. HIC also joined the WSF International Committee in 2003.

The HIC General Secretariat is set up in Santiago, Chile.

Signing of the World Charter for the Right to the City in the World Social Forum, Porto Alegre.

2009 and 2012: HIC-Housing and Land Rights Network held its Land Forum I and Land Forum III in Cairo.

The first Urban Social  Forum is a dynamic construction from urban civil society, held in parallel to UN-Habitat’s World Urban Forum. Its first instance took place in Rio de Janeiro in 2010 and the second one was held in Naples in September 2012.

In Quito, under the framework of Habitat III, HIC, along with other social movements, civil society organizations and community groups from around the world, reaffirmed its commitment to keep on fighting and influencing for the right to the city under a human rights habitat that allows for the full crystallization of the “good living” (sumak kawsay) for everyone, in an independent manner and beyond the process of the Habitat Conferences and the authorization of governments.

Participants set up next steps for the coalition: the last frontier of civil society in solidarity with social movements must be to deepen its involvement in the political decision-making process.

The rise of renting, gentrification, expulsion of people from cities, the increased activity of vulture funds were some of the aspects covered at an international gathering organized by HIC together with the Observatorio DESC and the Global Platform for the Right to the City aimed to analyse the causes and solutions to the housing crisis.

The Coalition calls for clarity and guidance for a rational and consultative approach to UN Habitat governance and stakeholder-engagement structures. This process will build the proposal for a Institutional Mechanism for stronger Stakeholder Engagement in the New UN Habitat Governance.

This collective dialogue was the beginning of drawing connections across the spectrum of Habitat Rights and the Right to the City between United Nations Special Rapporteurs, civil society organizations and local and regional governments

The Coalition sets up together with Members cross-regional, multi-session encounters called Co-learning spaces: they are open to all HIC Members, Friends and allies to generate and multiply emancipatory learning practices applied on the defense of human rights related to habitat.