Empowering squatter citizen : local government, civil society, and urban poverty reduction / edited by Diana Mitlin and David Satterthwaite.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Mitlin, Diana.

Satterthwaite, David.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Urban poor--Government policy--Developing countries--Case studies.

Urban poor.

Urban poor--Services for--Developing countries--Case studies.

Urban poor--Services for.

Urban poor--Government policy.

Developing countries.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xxi, 313 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; Sterling, VA : Earthscan, 2004.

Summary:

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, and 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:

Why focus on urban areas? 5

The eight case studies 11

Understanding urban poverty 12

Local organizations' and external agencies' orientations to urban poverty reduction 17

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

The emergence of the Urban Community Development Office 26

Setting up the UCDO 28

From crises to opportunities 36

Results and impacts for housing 40

Expansion, follow-up and the transition to CODI 49

3 The Community Mortgage Programme: An Innovative Social Housing Programme in the Philippines and Its Outcomes / Emma Porio, Christine S Crisol, Nota F Magno, David Cid, Evelyn N Paul 54

Institutional and policy context 55

Decentratlization of social housing to local governments: achievements and challenges 60

The CMP beneficiaries and their communities: socio-political and economic impacts 71

4 The Mexican National Popular Housing Fund / Priscilla Connolly 82

The FONHAPO vision and its context 83

FONHAPO's aims and achievements, 1982-1988 91

The impact of FONHAPO 98

FONHAPO's demise during the 1990s: housing policy versus poor relief 105

5 Participation and Sustainability in Social Projects: The Experience of the Local Development Programme in Nicaragua / Alfredo Stein 112

The Local Development Programme (PRODEL) 114

The community participation model 119

Lessons learned 131

Part III Civil Society Initiatives

6 The Work of the Anjuman Samaji Behbood in Faisalabad, Pakistan / Salim Alimuddin, Arif Hasan, Asiya Sadiq 139

The development of the Anjuman Samaji Behbood's work in Dhuddiwala 141

Repercussions of the water and sanitation programmes 155

Results of OPP replication projects outside Karachi 158

Reasons for ASB's comparative success 159

Relevance, constraints and future directions 161

7 Municipal Programme for the Reform and Extension of Homes: Casa Melhor/PAAC Cearah Periferia, Brazil / Debora Cavalcanti, Olinda Marques, Teresa Hilda Costa 165

The four case studies 168

History and description of the programme 169

Analysis of the programme 178

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, Diana Mitlin 193

The challenge and the opportunity 194

South African poverty and homelessness 195

Origins of the Homeless People's Federation 196

The work of the federation 198

What has been achieved? 201

Income generation and employment 206

Unpicking the change processes 206

Locating the alliance's approach 208

9 Grassroots-driven Development: The Alliance of SPARC, the National Slum Dwellers Federation and Mahila Milan / Sheela Patel, Diana Mitlin 216

From the pavements of Mumbai 218

Description of roles and relationships 223

Core values 228

Participation and the process of policy change 233

Investing in development 235

Part IV Drawing Some Conclusions

10 Addressing Deprivations in Urban Areas / Diana Mitlin, David Satterthwaite 245

Local deprivation and local action 245

What underlies the gap between what people need and what they can get? 247

Closing the gap between what is needed and what can be afforded 250

The eight case studies 252

Increasing incomes 252

Making limited funding go as far as possible 259

Addressing urban poverty through building the assets of low-income groups 265

11 The Role of Local and Extra-local Organizations / Diana Mitlin, David Satterthwaite 278

Changing roles for city and municipal governments 278

The role of NGOs 281

The role of local organizations in poverty reduction 289

Addressing the broader constraints that inhibit local action 293

Some implications for international donors 294

Final thoughts: urban poverty reduction, the Millennium Development Goals and local institutional capacity 302.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1844071014

1844071006

OCLC:

54356517