RHF was founded in 1987 and brings together professional agencies from the social housing and urban development sectors in French-speaking countries. This international non-governmental organisation is a spin-off of the Rexcoop programme which was managed by PUCA (Plan Construction et Architecture) from 1982 to 1987. PUCA was an inter-ministry agency for research into housing with social housing project managers from Africa, the Carribean, Pacific and North Africa.

Since 1996 RHF has increased its audience to all French-speaking countries, with new members from Belgium, Canada, the Lebanon and Vietnam.

The main objectives are

- A right to housing for all throughout the world in cities with no slums.
- Development of French culture and language throughout the world.

These orientations cannot be a half-hearted commitment; quite the contrary they require a strong conviction.

Right to housing

Over one thousand million men, women and children still have no shelter or are housed in bad conditions, and 1,3 thousand millions have no access to drinking water. Despite many declarations, laws and other texts, the right to housing is still not a reality for many people.

However, beyond the legal aspect, what is of interest to us is access to housing. Indeed, what is the use of laws if it is not possible to effectively have access to suitable housing for the needs of one's family.
RHF members are all professionally committed to this action both on a worldwide scale and in the countries where they work.

Francophony or French Culture and Language

Francophony is not only the use of the same language. It is sharing common values and convergent cultures. It is also a refusal of a unique way of thinking and the supremacy of a dominating language on a worldwide scale. By actively participating in the development of French we are sure of defending a certain idea of diversity and the possibility for other languages to continue to be used.

Members and their activities

The members of RHF come from 19 French-speaking countries on 4 continents and are organised as a world-wide network. All are committed professionally to the sector of urban development, rehabilitation of slum quarters and social housing either as developers, builders or bankers.

The association makes it possible to:
- break professional or language isolation;
- organise twinning projects
- constitute a genuine place for exchange and reflection;
- share experiences in order to establish optimal models of practices;
- carry out actions for the development of skills and human resources;
- produce two top-level international conferences annually.

International relations

RHF maintains regular relations with :

- UN (United Nations), in particular :
- UNCHS (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements);
- The HABITAT II (NAIROBI) programme;
- UNESCO
- The World Bank
- OIF (International Organisation for Francophony);
- AIF (Intergovernmental Agency for Francophony);
- AIMF (International Association of French-speaking Mayors);
- The Council for Francophony presided by the President of the French Republic;
- European Union (Directorate General for Development);
- European Council
- INTA / AIVN : The International Network for Urban Development
- CHRA (Canadian Housing and Renewal Association)
- IFHP (International Federation for Housing and Planning);
- AFD (French Agency for Development)
- USAID (US Agency for International Development)
- ENDA : environmental development action in the third world
- ADP (association for the urban development and cooperation professional)
- Cities Alliance : cities without slums
- FMVJ (world federation of twin towns)
- United Cities France
- European Housing Forum (of which RHF is a member since January 2000).

Members of the Forum are:
- CECODHAS (European Liaison Committee for Social Housing)
- COFACE (Confederation of Family Organisations of the European Community);
- ENHR (European Network for Housing Research);
- EOSH (European Observatory for Social Housing);
- RICS Europe (Royal International Chartered Surveyors);
- EUROCITIES (European Network for Towns (Trowns with over 250 000 inhabitants);
- FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organizations working with the homeless)
- IUT (International Union of Tenants)
- RHF (Housing and Francophony Network);
- UEPC (European Union of developers and house builders).