Empowering Squatter Citizen

by Mitlin, Diana; Satterthwaite, David

• ISBN13: 9781844071012
• ISBN10: 1844071014
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

List of Tables, Figures and Boxes	vi
About the Authors	ix
Preface	xii
Acknowledgements	xvii
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations	xix
Part I: Introduction
1 Introduction
Diana Mitlin and David Satterthwaite	3	(22)
What this book is about	3	(2)
Why focus on urban areas?	5	(6)
The eight case studies	11	(1)
Understanding urban poverty	12	(5)
Local organizations' and external agencies' orientations to urban poverty reduction	17	(2)
Conclusions	19	(6)
Part II: Government Initiatives
2 A Decade of Change: From the Urban Community Development Office to the Community Organization Development Institute in Thailand
Somsook Boonyabancha	25	(29)
Introduction	25	(1)
The emergence of the Urban Community Development Office	26	(2)
Setting up the UCDO	28	(8)
From crises to opportunities	36	(4)
Results and impacts for housing	40	(9)
Expansion, follow-up and the transition to CODI	49	(5)
3 The Community Mortgage Programme: An Innovative Social Housing Programme in the Philippines and Its Outcomes
Emma Porio, with Christine S Crisol, Nota F Magno, David Cid and Evelyn N Paul	54	(28)
Introduction	54	(1)
Institutional and policy context	55	(5)
Decentralization of social housing to local governments: achievements and challenges	60	(11)
The CMP beneficiaries and their communities: socio-political and economic impacts	71	(8)
Conclusions	79	(3)
4 The Mexican National Popular Housing Fund
Priscilla Connolly	82	(30)
Introduction	82	(1)
The FONHAPO vision and its context	83	(8)
FONHAPO's aims and achievements, 1982-1988	91	(7)
The impact of FONHAPO	98	(7)
FONHAPO's demise during the 1990's: housing policy versus poor relief	105	(2)
Conclusions	107	(5)
5 Participation and Sustainability in Social Projects: The Experience of the Local Development Programme in Nicaragua
Alfredo Stein	112	(27)
Introduction	112	(2)
The Local Development Programme (PRODEL)	114	(5)
The community participation model	119	(12)
Lessons learned	131	(8)
Part III: Civil Society Initiatives
6 The Work of the Anjuman Samaji Behbood in Faisalabad, Pakistan
Salim Alimuddin, Arif Hasan and Asiya Sadiq	139	(26)
Introduction	139	(1)
Background	140	(1)
The development of the Anjuman Samaji Behbood's work in Dhuddiwala	141	(14)
Repercussions of the water and sanitation programmes	155	(3)
Results of OPP replication projects outside Karachi	158	(1)
Reasons for ASB's comparative success	159	(2)
Relevance, constraints and future directions	161	(4)
7 Municipal Programme for the Reform and Extension of Homes: Casa Melhor/PAAC Cearah Periferia, Brazil
Debora Cavalcanti, Olinda Marques and Teresa Hilda Costa	165	(28)
Introduction	165	(1)
Background	165	(3)
The four case studies	168	(1)
History and description of the programme	169	(9)
Analysis of the programme	178	(11)
Conclusions	189	(4)
8 The Age of Cities and Organizations of the Urban Poor: The Work of the South African Homeless People's Federation
Ted Baumann, Joel Bolnick and Diana Mitlin	193	(23)
Introduction	193	(1)
The challenge and the opportunity	194	(1)
South African poverty and homelessness	195	(1)
Origins of the Homeless People's Federation	196	(2)
The work of the federation	198	(3)
What has been achieved?	201	(5)
Income generation and employment	206	(1)
Unpicking the change processes	206	(2)
Locating the alliance's approach	208	(2)
Conclusions	210	(6)
9 Grassroots-driven Development: The Alliance of SPARC, the National Slum Dwellers Federation and Mahila Milan
Sheela Patel and Diana Mitlin	216	(29)
Introduction	216	(2)
From the pavements of Mumbai	218	(5)
Description of roles and relationships	223	(5)
Core values	228	(5)
Participation and the process of policy change	233	(2)
Investing in development	235	(3)
Conclusions	238	(7)
Part IV: Drawing Some Conclusions
10 Addressing Deprivations in Urban Areas
Diana Mitlin and David Satterthwaite	245	(33)
Local deprivation and local action	245	(2)
What underlies the gap between what people need and what they can get?	247	(3)
Closing the gap between what is needed and what can be afforded	250	(2)
The eight case studies	252	(1)
Increasing incomes	252	(7)
Making limited funding go as far as possible	259	(6)
Addressing urban poverty through building the assets of low-income groups	265	(6)
Conclusions	271	(7)
11 The Role of Local and Extra-local Organizations
Diana Mitlin and David Satterthwaite	278	(29)
Changing roles for city and municipal governments	278	(3)
The role of NGOs	281	(8)
The role of local organizations in poverty reduction	289	(4)
Addressing the broader constraints that inhibit local action	293	(1)
Some implications for international donors	294	(8)
Final thoughts: urban poverty reduction, the Millennium Development Goals and local institutional capacity	302	(5)
Index	307