Background

This project aims to promote integrated and sectorially coordinated settlement upgrading on a mass scale in countries that accept to implement such a policy. It is active in Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico and Panama. Its goal is to assist national and local governments to prepare and submit successful proposals for securing funding from the Cities Alliance Secretariat, in parallel with the promotion of UN-HABITAT's Global Campaigns and normative programmes. The ultimate aim is to help countries achieve Target 11 of the Millennium Development Goals, which is to have achieved, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.

Activities
In each selected country, broad-based discussions were held on ongoing settlement upgrading initiatives, including their legal, financial and operational framework, as well as partners' mobilization. Proposals for scaling up were then formulated and discussed with the national focal points (sectoral Ministry and national association of municipalities, as well as all bilateral agencies active in the country in the field of settlement upgrading).

Results

• In Brazil, studies on settlement upgrading, urban infrastructure financing and urban safety were carried out in 15 cities, leading to three national workshops sponsored by the National Front of Mayors, the Ministry of Cities and the National Forum on Urban Reform. This process also led to the national launch of UN-HABITAT's Global Campaigns on Secure Tenure and Urban Governance in October 2003.
• A proposal linked to investments by the Government of Colombia and the World Bank was prepared for the city of Cali. The proposal focuses on technical assistance to a partnership entitled "Cali Housing Alliance" that gathers together the Colombian Chamber of Construction, local associations of the homeless and the Municipality of Cali. The proposal was submitted to the Cities Alliance Secretariat, which approved it in 2003. Implementation started in the second quarter of 2004.
• A proposal linked to large-scale investments by the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urban Development was prepared. The proposal aims to get technical assistance for a programme that distributes subsidies to low-income families through a national contest, where organizing entities (municipalities, private sector or NGOs) submit a housing project and get the subsidies, if approved. The proposal was approved in 2003 and is being implemented (comments in project FS/CHI/04/S01).
• A proposal linked to urban environmental investments by the Municipality of La Paz was prepared. The proposal is currently being reviewed by the Cities Alliance Secretariat.
• Proposals, linked to urban investments scheduled by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, are being formulated for Ecuador, Haiti and Panama. Once investments are fully agreed upon, proposals shall be reviewed by the national governments and the national association of municipalities for final submission to the Cities Alliance Secretariat.