Housing refers to the buildings and spaces where people live, including houses, apartments, and other types of homes. When city planners talk about housing, they mean all the places available for people to make their homes, the whole system of shelter in a community.

Housing is one of humanity's most basic needs, alongside food and water. Throughout history, people have created different types of housing suited to their environment and resources: igloos in the Arctic, stilted houses in flood-prone areas, adobe buildings in deserts. Today, housing takes countless forms, from single-family homes to towering apartment buildings.

The word often appears in discussions about whether communities have enough affordable places for people to live. When newspapers report that a city has a housing shortage, they mean there aren't enough homes for everyone who needs one. A housing development is a group of new homes built together in one area.

The cost and availability of housing affect nearly every family. Some people own their housing, while others rent. Communities work to balance different types of housing so that teachers, firefighters, store clerks, and everyone else who makes a neighborhood work can afford to live there.

In another meaning, a housing is a protective container for a mechanical part or machine, like the housing for a water pump that protects it from damage.