Civil Sector Institutions and Informal Settlements

Abstract

In low- and middle-income nations, civil society institutions have far more importance in the design and construction of urban housing and in the provision of housing-related infrastructure than in high-income nations. This is because so much housing provision is in informal settlements in which the state and formal building enterprises have little involvement. Most civil society organisations engaged in housing issues work within these informal settlements and include a great range of forms and sizes, from small grass-roots organisations through residents’ associations to local and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). One of the most significant changes in civil society engagement with housing issues has been the formation of national federations by the inhabitants of these informal settlements (mostly formed around women’s savings groups). Where governments and international agencies support and work with these federations, the scale and scope of housing improvement increases considerably.