Housing insecurity is a problem in the region, with nearly half the population lacking access to decent housing. Decisions alone are insufficient to create a robust housing agenda. This research sought to understand public leadership and South-South/triangular cooperation as key elements in developing capacities and strengthening a regional housing agenda. It is a qualitative analysis designed to understand and explain how public leadership and South-South/triangular cooperation build capacity to strengthen a regional housing agenda. Through document review and analysis, and input from a workshop with transdisciplinary analysts, it was found that public leadership and horizontal cooperation are crucial in building a regional housing agenda. Public leadership fosters innovation in decision-making and the implementation of desired scenarios. Meanwhile, South-South/triangular cooperation serves as a tool for collaboration, building and strengthening capacities within states, institutions, and groups. The conclusion is that public leadership and South-South cooperation can contribute to addressing the housing problem in the region by building capacity to design an institutional and sectoral agenda focused on poverty reduction and promoting the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals within a framework of regional integration governance. Public leadership is essential for managing South-South cooperation and public goods such as the housing sector.