A wave of economic activity has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of wretched poverty in the Asia-Pacific region in recent years. Yet while nations and individuals are prospering, many people still live lives defined by daily struggle and hardship.

More than half the population exist on just US$2 a day. That's 1.89 billion people, according to estimates from the Asian Development Bank. And the outlook is bleak for these people - each one an individual with potential, aspirations and dreams. The bank's most optimistic projections see little alteration over the next decade. Although grinding poverty may decline, the number of people living on US$2 a day or less could still amount to 1.6 billion in 2015.

An estimated 1.2 billion inhabitants of the Asia-Pacific region are living in conditions of extreme poverty, characterised by overcrowding, lack of sanitation and the scourge of disease.That's equivalent to the entire population of China. An increasing number of people are searching for a better life in towns and cities, swelling the urban slums.

The work of Habitat for Humanity will remain urgent for years to come. The need for decent, affordable housing for low-income earners and their families remains critical, so they can begin to improve their living conditions.

Yet the challenges of combating poverty housing are complex. The Asia-Pacific region encompasses many unique and diverse societies. A housing solution that makes sense on an island in the western Pacific is very different to what works in a New Zealand suburb. Or a fishing village in Orissa. Or a slum in Metro Manila. Or a mountain village in China.