Globally there are few, if any, successes to show for scaled-up slum upgrading projects that are designed by technical experts or government bureaucracies. The urban poor now constitute the single most important category of shelter producers in the world today. It is this fact that must be the starting point for attempting to tackle slum upgrading at scale. The Global Campaign for Secure Tenure has achieved a lot by way of improved access to shelter for the world’s urban poor, and particularly in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. As an advocacy instrument, one of the objectives of the Campaign is to advocate the promotion of secure tenure and the importance of recognizing the urban poor as partners in tenure and shelter improvements at the global, regional, national and local levels. In the few years that the Campaign has been in existence many countries have taken steps towards achieving tenure security. Some of these are: India, Philippines, Brazil, Cambodia and South Africa where a lot has been done to provide normative foundation for the promotion of security of tenure, advance advocacy instruments, while at the same time strengthening the capacity of the urban poor, NGOs and central government to upgrade slums.
India (Mumbai) Legal, Regulatory and Policy Framework - Cost-sharing and land-sharing programmes instituted citywide
- Transfer of Development Rights.
Institutional Framework
The development agenda has moved away from merely making ever-increasing demands on state, to sustained advocacy by organizations of the poor for the formulation of pro-poor strategies in which the poor and the state are identified as potential partners in responding to the need of the poor. In this regard, the establishment of a consultative process between the major stakeholders to engage in the resettlement of population living in risk areas, has been a very positive outcome of the project. A Slum Redevelopment Authority has also been established. Provision of Secure Tenure/Land
The Government has committed to make 1363 hectares of vacant land under salt pans available for the benefit of 70,000 households. This land will be freed up for development and the central government has agreed to give half the land to the state government to use for re-housing slum dwellers. Provision of Shelter (including provision of finance)
The Alliance was able to reach an agreement with the Railroad Transport Authority, and the City of Mumbai to relocate and resettle 20,000 households living along the railway track. In addition to this, positive progress on the relocation of 35,000 families under the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project has been achieved. Through the Slum Redevelopment/Pavement Dwellers projects, some 1500 tenements in about 20 buildings are in the process of construction. 23,000 households of Pavement Dwellers are also to be resettled. The community has also been mobilized to construct 5000 toilet seats in the slums, in addition to the development of Micro savings scheme for income generating activities. Other
Secure Tenure Campaign has supported the urban poor in their struggle for space to work with government and fostered peer exchanges of experiences between poor communities and their leaders with other international partners. In addition to this, tools and frameworks for up scaling have been developed and disseminated.
Philippines (Manila, General Santos, Davao, Iloilo) Legal, Regulatory and Policy Framework
Standards of decent shelter in resettlement have been set through the Ang Bahanggunihanan, which advocates the empowerment of people’s organizations and Barangay governance; access to quality and affordable housing and basic services; rational use of land resources; effective urban development and management; and finally it advocates for a strengthened and institutionalized Philippines Urban Forum. Institutional Framework
There has been noticeable improvement in the system of approving housing loans (45 signatories instead of 188, from 90 to 30 days). Another achievement is the creation and establishment of the Urban Poor Development Fund (UPDF) in cities of Iloilo and General Santos. Provision of Secure Tenure/Land
An Executive Order by the President of the Philippines Gloria Arroyo, dated 1 October 2002, releasing 22,600 hectares of government owned land for mass shelter/housing purposes, was made in Manila after the Campaign Launch. In addition to this the City of General Santos committed itself to make 44 hectares available to 1,800 Slum dwellers for the purposes of housing. Provision of Shelter (including provision of finance)
A Community Mortgage Program (CMP), to the tune of US $9.5 million in housing loans, was secured by 12,247 urban poor squatter-families. The General Santos & Iloilo cities, also committed annual budgets for shelter related activities. In addition, UN-HABITAT supports and encourages NGO/CBO efforts in setting up micro savings schemes, while at the same time fostering exchange of experiences among the stakeholders. The development and dissemination of tools and frameworks for up scaling has been one of the major achievements of the Three Cities Project. South Africa ( Durban ) Legal, Regulatory and Policy Framework
Policy framework has been put in place for the collaboration between Durban City and Homeless Peoples Federation. At the same time stakeholders are taking control of their own development and are being given the space to engage with decision-makers. Institutional Framework
Political approval has been secured to set up Urban Poor Fund (UPF). This will be a joint venture between the Alliance and eThekweni municipality. At the programmatic level, the intention of the fund is to prepare selected housing projects. Provision of Secure Tenure/Land
There has been increased momentum of securing tenure and land through the housing subsidy program. Because access to funding will become dependent on securing subsidies, most technical requirements of the planning system will have to be met prior to accessing funding for house construction. Provision of Shelter (including provision of finance)
Durban authorities and slum dwellers’ federations have now engaged in large-scale slum upgrading and housing production activities. This has been made possible through the strength and sustainability of the movement of the poor people made possible by the vibrant system of internal savings and loans, together with trust and lateral learning.
Another achievement has been the fostering of exchanges of experiences, which has been successful in mobilizing and facilitating real personal empowerment to the poor. In addition to that, development and dissemination of tools and frameworks for up scaling, have demonstrate the ability of the urban poor working with government, and other partners to undertake city-wide slum upgrading.
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