Cities are on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization recognizes that as COVID-19 spreads across the globe, many cities have become national epicenters of the pandemic, reflecting the ease of introduction and spread of the virus in densely populated areas. In fact, over 90% of COVID-19 cases are occurring in urban areas (2020 SDG Report). While population density is essential for productive and innovative cities, when combined with poverty, marginalization and informality, it becomes a catalyst for the rapid transmission of the coronavirus, which places the 1 billion people living in the world’s densely populated city slums and informal settlements at heightened risk. The impacts of the pandemic is exacerbating the vulnerability of slum dwellers and informal settlers as these “COVID hotspots” are already suffering from overcrowding, lacking access to basic infrastructure and services including healthcare, and dependence on informal economies.