Empowering squatter citizen : local government, civil society, and urban poverty reduction

With the rapid growth in urban poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America, most cities now have 30 to 60 per cent of their population living in shanty towns. The civil and political rights of these people are either ignored or constantly contravened. They face multiple deprivations, including hunger, long hours working for inadequate incomes; illness, injury and premature deaths that arise from dangerous living conditions and inadequate water supplies, sanitation and healthcare. Many face the constant threat of eviction and other forms of violence. None of these problems can be addressed without local changes, and Empowering Squatter Citizen contends that urban poverty is underpinned by the failure of national governments and aid agencies to support local processes. It makes the case for redirecting support to local organizations, whether governmental, non-governmental or grassroots. . The book includes case studies of innovative government organizations (in Thailand, Mexico, Philippines and Nicaragua) and community-driven processes (in India, South Africa, Pakistan and Brazil), which illustrate more effective approaches to urban poverty reduction. Such approaches include strengthening the organizations of the poor and homeless so that they are accountable to their members, are able to develop their own solutions and have more capacity to negotiate with the institutions that are meant to deliver infrastructure, services, credit and land for housing. Such support for local processes is crucial for meeting the Millennium Development Goals in urban areas. Contents......Page 4 List of Tables, Figures and Boxes......Page 7 About the Authors......Page 10 Preface......Page 13 References......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 18 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations......Page 20 Part 1: Introduction......Page 24 What this book is about......Page 25 Why focus on urban areas?......Page 27 The eight case studies......Page 33 Understanding urban poverty......Page 34 Local organizations’ and external agencies’ orientations to urban poverty reduction......Page 39 References......Page 41 Part 2: Government Initiatives......Page 46 Introduction......Page 47 The emergence of the Urban Community Development Office......Page 48 Setting up the UCDO......Page 50 From crises to opportunities......Page 58 Results and impacts for housing......Page 62 Expansion, follow-up and the transition to CODI......Page 71 References......Page 75 Introduction......Page 76 Institutional and policy context......Page 77 Decentralization of social housing to local governments: achievements and challenges......Page 82 The CMP beneficiaries and their communities: socio-political and economic impacts......Page 93 Conclusions......Page 101 References......Page 103 Introduction......Page 104 The FONHAPO vision and its context......Page 105 FONHAPO’s aims and achievements, 1982–1988......Page 113 The impact of FONHAPO......Page 120 FONHAPO’s demise during the 1990s: housing policy versus poor relief......Page 127 Conclusions......Page 129 References......Page 131 Introduction......Page 134 The Local Development Programme (PRODEL)......Page 136 The community participation model......Page 141 Lessons learned......Page 153 References......Page 157 Part 3: Civil Society Initiatives......Page 160 Introduction......Page 161 Background......Page 162 The development of the Anjuman Samaji Behbood’s work in Dhuddiwala......Page 163 Repercussions of the water and sanitation programmes......Page 177 Results of OPP replication projects outside Karachi......Page 180 Reasons for ASB’s comparative success......Page 181 Relevance, constraints and future directions......Page 183 Background......Page 187 The four case studies......Page 190 History and description of the programme......Page 191 Analysis of the programme......Page 200 Conclusions......Page 211 References......Page 214 Introduction......Page 215 The challenge and the opportunity......Page 216 South African poverty and homelessness......Page 217 Origins of the Homeless People’s Federation......Page 218 The work of the federation......Page 220 What has been achieved?......Page 223 Unpicking the change processes......Page 228 Locating the alliance’s approach......Page 230 Conclusions......Page 232 Introduction......Page 238 From the pavements of Mumbai......Page 240 Description of roles and relationships......Page 245 Core values......Page 250 Participation and the process of policy change......Page 255 Investing in development......Page 257 Conclusions......Page 260 References......Page 263 Part 4: Drawing Some Conclusions......Page 266 Local deprivation and local action......Page 267 What underlies the gap between what people need and what they can get?......Page 269 Closing the gap between what is needed and what can be afforded......Page 272 Increasing incomes......Page 274 Making limited funding go as far as possible......Page 281 Addressing urban poverty through building the assets of low-income groups......Page 287 Conclusions......Page 293 References......Page 297 Changing roles for city and municipal governments......Page 300 The role of NGOs......Page 303 The role of local organizations in poverty reduction......Page 311 Addressing the broader constraints that inhibit local action......Page 315 Some implications for international donors......Page 316 Final thoughts: urban poverty reduction, the Millennium Development Goals and local institutional capacity......Page 324 References......Page 327 Index......Page 329 Annotation This Volume Is The Most Recent Addition To The Examination Of Urban Poverty By The Human Settlements Program At The International Institute For Environment And Development (iied). It Makes The Case For Redirecting Support To Local Organizations And Processes. The Core Of The Book Is Case Studies Of Innovative Government Organizations (in Thailand, Mexico, Philippines And Nicaragua) And Community-driven Processes (in India, South Africa, Pakistan And Brazil) That Show New Ways To Address Urban Poverty. Each Case Study Is Prepared By Specialists From These Countries. They Show That Poverty Reduction In Urban Areas Is As Much About Building Competent, Accountable Local Organizations As About Attempting To Improve Incomes. It Involves Strengthening And Supporting The Organizations Formed By The Poor Or Homeless To Be Able To Develop Their Own Solutions And Able To Negotiate Better Deals With The Organizations Delivering Infrastructure, Services, Credit And Land For Housing. The Understanding Of Urbanpoverty That The Book Presents Goes Beyond Conventional, Official Definitions Based Only On Income Or Consumption Levels To Include Considerations Of Housing Conditions, Tenure, Infrastructure And Service Provision, The Rule Of Law, And Civil And Political Rights, Including 'voice' And The Right To Influence Policy And Practice On The Ground. It Offers Powerful Conclusions For National And Local Governments, Ngos And International Agencies On How To Tackle The Complex And Growing Problem Of Urban Poverty. A Decade Of Change: From The Urban Community Development Office To The Community Organization Development Institute In Thailand / Somsook Boonyabancha -- The Community Mortgage Programme: An Innovative Social Housing Programme In The Philippines And Its Outcomes / Emma Porio [and Others] -- The Mexican National Popular Housing Fund / Prisicilla Connolly -- Participation And Sustainability In Social Projects: The Experience Of The Local Development Programme In Nicaragua / Alfred Stein -- The Work Of The Anjuman Samaji Behbood In Faisalabad, Pakistan / Salim Alimuddin, Arif Hasan And Asiya Sadiq -- Municipal Programme For The Reform And Extension Of Homes: Casa Melhor/paac Cearah Periferia, Brazil / Debora Cavalcanti, Olinda Marques And Teresa Hilda Costa -- The Age Of Cities And Organizations Of The Urban Poor: The Work Of The South African Homeless People's Federation / Ted Baumann, Joel Bolink And Diana Mitlin -- Grassroots-driven Development; The Alliance Of Sparc, The National Slum Dwellers Federation And Mahila Milan / Sheela Patel And Diana Mitlin -- Addressing Deprivations In Urban Areas / Diana Mitlin And David Satterhwaite -- The Role Of The Local And Extra-local Organizations / Diana Mitlin And David Satterhwaite. Edited By Diana Mitlin And David Satterthwaite. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This volume is the most recent addition to the examination of urban poverty by the Human Settlements Program at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). It makes the case for redirecting support to local organizations and processes. The core of the book is case studies of innovative government organizations (in Thailand, Mexico, the Philippines, and Nicaragua) and community-driven processes (in India, South Africa, Pakistan, and Brazil) that show new ways to address urban poverty. Each case study is prepared by specialists from these countries. They show that poverty reduction in urban areas is as much about building competent, accountable local organizations as about attempting to improve incomes. It involves strengthening and supporting the organizations formed by the poor or homeless to be able to develop their own solutions and to negotiate better deals with the organizations delivering infrastructure, services, credit, and land for housing. The understanding of urban poverty that the book presents goes beyond conventional, official definitions based only on income or consumption levels to include considerations of housing conditions, tenure, infrastructure and service provision, the rule of law, and civil and political rights, including 'voice' and the right to influence policy and practice on the ground. It offers powerful conclusions for national and local governments, NGOs and international agencies on how to tackle the complex and growing problem of urban poverty. This book presents case studies of eight initiatives designed to address the deprivations faced by the urban poor: four that were government initiatives and four that were civil-society initiatives (although each of the civil-society initiatives sought to work with government).