FAVELA-BAIRRO

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FAVELA-BAIRRO

Promotion and production Public promotion Participatory processes Materials Self-construction Transformation and adaptation Favelas/Slums

Main objectives of the project

The Rio de Janeiro Urbanization Program for Popular Settlements (PROAP), popularly known as Favela-Bairro, is an urbanization program managed by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall. Linked to the Municipal Secretariat of Urbanism, Infrastructure and Housing, the program aims to implement urban infrastructure, services, public facilities and social policies in communities in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The main objective of Favela-Bairro is to integrate the favela into the city. The Inter-American Development Bank considers it a model project for public policies to combat poverty and misery. Nominated by the UN as an example for other countries to follow in the World Cities Report 2006/07, Favela-Bairro was also chosen as one of the world's best projects presented at Expo 2000 in Hannover.

Date

1994: Rehabilitación

Stakeholders

Location

City: Rio de Janeiro
Country/Region: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

Description

In 1992, the Ten-Year Master Plan for the City of Rio de Janeiro (PDDCRJ-92) was instituted by Complementary Law No. 16, which, among other measures, determined that favelas should have the character of neighborhoods, with quality services and infrastructure. The Master Plan represented a major advance over the 1937 Building Code, whose language treated favelas as "aberrations". Following the new guidelines of the Master Plan, Favela-Bairro emerged in 1993 as one of several municipal neighborhood improvement projects proposed by the new city hall leadership. The program was conceived by the then Municipal Secretary of Urbanism, and would be coordinated by the newly created Municipal Housing Secretariat. The program emerged from a consensus on the need to improve favelas following the following basic principles: The recognition of housing as a citizen's right; The understanding that housing should be integrated into the urban space; The assumption that public investments in housing should only be made when necessary to improve the urban environment and infrastructure or to address risk situations. The Favela-Bairro program prioritized the incorporation of favelas into the existing urbanized fabric, for example, by normalizing the urban situation and providing these neighborhoods with adequate urban infrastructure. According to GEAP (Executive Group on Popular Settlements), the objective of the program was "to build or complement the main urban structure (sanitation and democratization of access) and provide the environmental conditions to read the favela as just another neighborhood in the city. The program is distinguished by having as a principle to intervene as little as possible, focusing more on the recovery of public spaces and the implementation of infrastructures. After its creation in the context of the Master Plan, Favela-Bairro was incorporated into Rio de Janeiro's Strategic Plan (1995), whose objectives at the time were: the improvement of living conditions in the favelas through the implementation of basic services (leisure, health, education, water, sewage, electricity, etc.), the requalification of accesses and the regularization of land that would allow them to be characterized as neighborhoods. Thus, the Favela-Bairro program became part of two planning models: the Master Plan and the Strategic Plan. In 1994, the IAB/RJ organized the Public Contest for the Selection of Methodological and Physical-Spatial Proposals for the Urbanization of Favelas in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, in order to develop intervention projects. This first initiative targeted fifteen small and medium-sized favelas. For the execution of the first stage of the Program, resources from the municipality and from agreements with the European Union, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) were incorporated. The competition was open to teams of architects and urban planners established in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The competition was organized with the support of the Institute of Architects of Brazil of Rio de Janeiro and received applications from 34 teams, mobilizing about 150 professionals, which represented a very significant acceptance considering the still small number of offices dedicated to the theme of low-income housing in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Authors:

AHA Affordable Housing Activation

Plastic bottle houses for Sahrawi refugees

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Plastic bottle houses for Sahrawi refugees

Policies and regulations Local policies Evaluation and impact

Urban Design Environments Quality Inclusion Equity Participatory processes

Promotion and production Participatory processes Innovation Materials Management and maintenance

Ownership and tenure Land ownership

Main objectives of the project

Plastic bottle houses transform life for refugees

Tateh Lehbib Barika is no ordinary engineer. He was born in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, which are home to thousands of people displaced by conflict in Western Sahara more than 40 years ago. Growing up he experienced first-hand the harsh conditions endured in the camps, where metal roofing sheets on mud brick houses intensify the searing desert heat and often blow off during frequent sand storms.

After receiving a scholarship from the UNHCR (the UN’s refugee agency) to study renewable energy, Tateh Lehbib returned to the camps with an innovative idea to improve living conditions for his community, which had been devastated by floods. He set about building a new home for his grandmother using recycled plastic bottles filled with sand. His idea caught the attention of the local UNHCR office, which helped him secure USD$60,000 funding to build 25 more homes.

The community-led project demonstrated how readily and freely available materials could be used to build better homes, reducing refugees’ reliance on external aid and recycling problematic plastic waste. For 50 vulnerable people, the project has provided a safer, cooler place to live and for the community at large, the skills to continue building.

Date

2018:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: Africa
City: Tinduf
Country/Region: Algeria, Tinduf

Description

Like most settlements of their kind, the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria were only ever meant to be a temporary housing solution for people displaced by erupting conflict in Western Sahara in 1975. More than 40 years after they were established, however, the camps are still home to thousands of people, many of whom have never lived anywhere else. Life in the camps is tough. Money and food are scarce and the refugees live in fragile mud houses or tents and endure harsh weather conditions.

Among the typical adobe structures used to house refugee families, are some newer buildings. They stand out because they are round rather than rectangular in shape but it is how they were constructed that is the most remarkable thing about them. The homes were built using recycled plastic bottles filled with sand and form part of an innovative project to improve the living conditions of Sahrawi refugees stuck in ‘temporary’ housing in the camps.

The project is the brainchild of Tateh Lehbib Barika, himself a Sahrawi refugee who was born and raised in the camps. He received a UNHCR (the UN’s refugee agency) scholarship to study renewable energy and returned to build the first prototype plastic bottle home for his grandmother after catastrophic flooding in 2015 destroyed 80 per cent of homes in the camp.

His idea caught the attention of the local UNHCR office in Tindouf, which provided USD$2,000 and helped secure USD$60,000 of funding from the UNHCR to build 25 plastic bottle houses across the five Sahrawi refugee camps in the province. Some refugees were originally sceptical about the initiative, wary it would take away resources from other areas like food assistance but Tateh Lehbib worked hard to raise awareness of the benefits of the project and people gradually came to accept the idea.

The build

Construction began in November 2016 and 27 buildings (two more than expected) were completed by April 2017. The plastic bottle homes have rehoused around 50 refugees who were selected because they are on very low incomes, elderly, or have special needs or disabilities. The homes were built by the refugee community under the direction of Tateh Lehbib. The project directly employed 200 people within the camps, who in turn paid a further 1,500 people to collect and fill bottles.

Each home took about one week to build and required around 6,000 plastic bottles, which were sourced from institutions, schools, hospitals and landfill. Groups of refugees formed to gather and prepare the construction materials. One group was tasked with collecting bottles while another filled them with sand from the dunes. Once filled, a truck transported the bottles to trained masons who stacked them horizontally, filling in the gaps with sand to make a basic cylindrical structure with two windows. The interior walls were covered with a layer of earth and straw, followed by a thin layer of cement. Cement was also used to seal the exterior of the building. The homes have a double layer ceiling to reduce the level of heat coming in – vitally important in an area where temperatures regularly reach 50°C.

Tateh Lehbib’s prototype plastic bottle house cost USD$291 to build. The initial cost of the project was USD$2,400 per home due to increased labour, staffing, transportation, training, materials and tools costs. This reduced to USD$1,630 as the need for training declined. The adobe structures typically used in the camps cost around USD$582 – USD$1,160 to build.

The plastic bottle homes are smaller than their adobe counterparts, but they offer superior protection from fire, sandstorms, floods and high winds. The temperature inside a plastic bottle home is around 5ºC lower than the mud brick alternative and people living in the homes say they feel safer.

Increasing self-sufficiency

A key objective of the project was to improve not only the living conditions within the camps, but also to increase the self-sufficiency of refugees. Used plastic bottles and sand form the bulk of construction materials and can be collected free of charge from institutions, landfill or off the streets. This leaves refugees more able to pay for other materials, like cement, themselves and reduces reliance on external funding.

Even though opportunities within the camps are limited, the Sahrawi people place great value on education, learning and innovation. The project built on this pre-existing culture by running training programmes and workshops for educational centres, women’s associations and youth groups to help inspire and motivate young people to develop their ideas as Tateh Lehbib did. The Sahrawi people’s willingness to learn new skills means the knowledge needed to continue building plastic bottle homes is now embedded in the community. This increased self-sufficiency is crucial in the camps because limited economic opportunities and the harsh climate force refugees to rely heavily on international humanitarian assistance.

The important social impact of the project is coupled with its equally important environmental impact. Plastic waste is a huge and growing problem globally, but even more so in areas where there is little or no formal recycling. Plastic bottle construction recycles tonnes of plastic waste that would likely end up in landfill or in the ocean.

The durability and abundance of used plastic bottles represents a huge environmental challenge – but these qualities also make them good, low-cost building materials for communities with few resources. The plastic bottle method also uses significantly less water than building with mud bricks, preserving a precious commodity in the desert.

The future

Plastic bottle construction is an emerging technique across Latin America and Africa. Following the success of the Sahrawi refugee project, plans are being formed to develop the method further. Tateh Lehbib intends to build a centre in the camp to investigate climatic building design with plastic bottles and hopes to attract engineers and creative architects to help improve design and efficiency, for example by replacing cement with lime and earth and improving ventilation and roof design.

Tateh Lehbib’s aim is to establish plastic bottle construction as common practice and he plans to use the method to build other much-needed resources, such as schools and health centres, in the five Sahrawi camps. He is currently involved in a research project with his professors at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to develop further solutions.

While the UNHCR-funded project has come to an end, its impact continues to be felt by those living in the homes and also by the community at large. Plastic bottle homes may be basic but they are safe, durable and easily replicable. The self-sufficient nature of the construction method means future homes can be funded by refugees themselves (who have gained skills through participating in the project) or through individual grants. A culture of interdependence and support exists across the Sahrawi community and additional homes are already being built using the plastic bottle method, proving the initiative is sustainable without external funding.

View the full project summary here – available in English only

Authors:

World Habitat

Promoting local building cultures in Haiti

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Promoting local building cultures in Haiti

Mismatches Functional adequacy Services Vulnerable groups Demographic/Urban growth

Policies and regulations Local policies Regulation Building capacity Governance

Promotion and production Public promotion Participatory processes Innovation Cooperatives Management and maintenance

Main objectives of the project

Rebuilding Haiti

Rebuilding a country that has been devastated by natural disaster is a huge job. Rebuilding it in a way that reduces future risk to human life and dependency on external aid is an even bigger one. This is the task the organisation CRAterre set itself following the catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010.

The magnitude-7 tremor and subsequent aftershocks killed hundreds of thousands of people, left millions homeless and destroyed much of Haiti’s infrastructure. CRAterre – which leads global research, training and action in the field of earthen architecture – was enlisted to lend its technical expertise to multiple international and local organisations involved in the post-disaster rebuild.

The lack of national building standards and poor construction methods needed to be addressed urgently to cope with future natural disasters. CRAterre recognised this need for a more unified approach and favoured improving existing local construction techniques over the standardised industrial methods typically employed in post-disaster rebuilds.

By studying and then adapting local building practices, training Haitian construction professionals and distributing educational materials, CRAterre promoted safer, more effective and locally sustainable building techniques.

When Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016, thousands of homes and dozens of public buildings constructed using these practices suffered less damage than other buildings, demonstrating how CRAterre’s methodologies can improve resilience and response to natural disasters and ultimately save lives.

Date

2013:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: North America
Country/Region: Haiti, Port-au-Prince

Description

In January 2010, a devastating earthquake shook the Caribbean nation of Haiti to its core. The disaster and subsequent aftershocks killed an estimated 250,000 people, injuring 300,000 and displacing 1.5 million people, whose homes collapsed. Much of the country’s infrastructure was also destroyed as the magnitude-7 tremor reduced schools, hospitals, government buildings and roads to rubble. The country was left in crisis, its people living in makeshift accommodation, vulnerable to food shortages, poverty and rapidly spreading disease.

International humanitarian organisations responded en masse to help with the enormous relief effort. CRAterre – an organisation leading international research, training and action in the field of earthen architecture – already had a presence in the country and was asked to provide technical assistance to multiple local and international organisations involved in the post-disaster response and rebuild.

Rethinking construction

Prior to the earthquake, no building codes were enforced in Haiti. Many of the country’s structures were poorly built and simply disintegrated when disaster struck, leaving a massive death toll in their wake. The fragmented response efforts of numerous aid agencies and difficult terrain meant the rebuild process was particularly challenging.

Against this backdrop, CRAterre recognised the need for an alternative approach to the standardised industrial building techniques usually employed by international aid agencies involved in post-disaster response. Rebuilds are typically a very top-down process, where big aid organisations come in and build houses with a standard approach, all too often ignoring local traditions and techniques, and creating a secondary ‘aid’ economy, which excludes local workers.

CRAterre used its research to promote a more unified approach that took into account the hugely varying physical, social, environmental, economic, cultural and governance factors across the country. It believed that by promoting improved local building techniques – known as Techniques de Construction Locales Améliorées, or TCLA – the country could become more resilient to natural disasters and improve its response when they occurred. The organisation was directly involved with 25 contracts for technical assistance and training and was asked to collaborate on numerous other projects, giving it scope to influence a wide range of organisations.

CRAterre’s focus was mainly on rural areas across Haiti, where resources and needs differ greatly according to the availability of materials, transport, facilities and climate. The hugely varied geography of Haiti also affects the approach to building foundations and the supply of water and sanitation. CRAterre’s team of experts began by evaluating traditional local building techniques, which vary widely, then refined them using the findings of their scientific research and local observations. Haitian builders were therefore able to apply their existing knowledge with improved techniques, resulting in safer buildings that they could construct themselves.

While most organisations became convinced of the benefit CRAterre’s TCLA approach, some resisted dialogue about these methods. In some areas NGOs continued to propose building larger houses with reinforced concrete and concrete blocks, rather than using local building techniques.

Environmental and social impact

The environmental impact of the rebuild was a key factor in CRAterre’s work. Materials used in the building process – mainly earth and stone – are low energy and only a small amount of cement was used where necessary. Timber was imported when not locally available or abundant enough for sustainable use. In mountainous areas 95 per cent of materials were extracted locally, reducing transport and greenhouse gas emissions.

Throughout the process, care was taken to preserve the traditional mutual support culture in Haiti known as ‘Kombit’ to encourage community resilience and avoid future dependency on external aid. CRAterre’s participatory approach also paid special attention to the inclusion of women. By embracing and building on local knowledge, the organisation was able to strengthen social ties and support local people to make informed choices.

It is estimated that the total cost of the work CRAterre was involved in is around USD$19.8 million, however, because it linked to multiple projects with many partners that were funded from a variety of sources, a ‘traditional’ budget is hard to obtain. The results of its work, however, can be seen on the ground. Technical support provided by CRAterre enabled the construction of 1,150 new buildings and the repair of 500 following the 2010 earthquake. Twenty-five community and public buildings were delivered with support from the organisation and 850 local building professionals were trained in addition to staff in 15 international organisations. The reconstruction and repair projects were carried out in communities where people could not afford to rebuild themselves.

CRAterre also developed teaching materials, which were made available to vocational schools, and wider adoption of building techniques promoted by the organisation by self-builders and wealthy individuals has led to the repair or rebuild of around 6,000 homes since 2010. The team also helped develop and shape advocacy campaigns, carried out educational activities and supported professional networks across Haiti.

By providing technical assistance to a spectrum of different organisations involved in the rebuild, CRAterre was able to achieve some much-needed continuity in rebuilding methods with far-reaching results. Local building techniques have been widely accepted and adopted throughout Haiti, including by government departments. In 2012 the Ministry of Public Works Transport and Communications certified a system for building timber frame houses, which was promoted by CRAterre.

The effectiveness of CRAterre’s approach was put to the test when Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti in 2016. Homes rebuilt using TCLA methods suffered significantly less damage than others, leading to wider adoption of the techniques by UCLBP, the government body responsible for national housing policy. Following the hurricane, a further 800 households were supported by CRAterre to repair their homes.

The future

Since 2010 Haiti’s recovery has been compounded by further hurricanes, storms, drought, disease, and political, economic and social disruption. The country’s recovery and efforts to rebuild continue under intense scrutiny.

While no further funding is in place to extend CRAterre’s TCLA project in its current form, the concept has been adopted by UCLBP, the Global Shelter Cluster (a global platform coordinating post-disaster response) and other humanitarian organisations working in Haiti. Its influence is also being felt at policy level and it has submitted documents to the Ministry of Public Works Transport and Communications to establish national construction standards across a range of building types.

CRAterre is still working in Haiti, collaborating with government authorities, universities and vocational centres and providing technical support, training and expertise to projects led by its partner organisations. Recognition and adoption of TCLA is expected to increase across Haiti and CRAterre continues in its quest to promote the TCLA approach at a global level.

View the full project summary here – available in English only

Authors:

Fundació Mies van der Rohe Barcelona

World Habitat

Pakistan Chulahs: The smokeless stoves empowering women and changing lives

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Pakistan Chulahs: The smokeless stoves empowering women and changing lives

Mismatches Vulnerable groups Demographic/Urban growth

Policies and regulations National policies Global frameworks

Urban Design Quality Liveability Inclusion Equity

Promotion and production Participatory processes Materials Self-management Management and maintenance

Main objectives of the project

The smokeless stoves empowering women and saving lives

A programme to build low-cost smokeless stoves is helping to improve women’s health and alleviate poverty in rural Pakistan, where four in every five households lack access to a clean, safe cooking resource.

Smoke from traditional open-flame wood-burning stoves can cause serious respiratory infections and eye problems, while food cooked on these floor-mounted stoves is easily contaminated leading to diarrhoea, especially in children.

The Chulah programme teaches marginalised women to build a hygienic, sustainable, smokeless earthen stove, which not only improves their health but also empowers them to earn a living by marketing and building stoves in other villages.

The programme is run by the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which has trained 35 ‘Barefoot Village Entrepreneurs’ (BVEs) in Chulah construction. BVEs act as master trainers, charging USD$2 to teach other women to build their own Chulahs out of mud bricks and lime. Materials cost an additional USD$6, bringing the total cost to USD$8.

Chulah stoves use 50 – 70 per cent less firewood than traditional stoves, reducing deforestation and saving valuable time for women, whose job it is to collect fuel.

Since 2014, more than 40,000 stoves have been built, improving the health of 300,000 people. The Heritage Foundation aims to expand the programme to build 100,000 Chulahs per year, bringing the health and economic benefits of the stoves to millions more disadvantaged women and their families.

Date

2018:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: Asia
Country/Region: Karachi, Pakistan

Description

Food preparation is an essential part of daily life but for women living in impoverished rural Pakistan it is a time-consuming and arduous task that puts both their own health and that of their family at risk. This is because millions of rural households depend on open-flame wood-burning stoves, which fill homes with smoke causing acute respiratory infections and eye problems. Food cooked on these floor-mounted stoves is easily contaminated with dirt – a major cause of diarrhoea, particularly among children.

Women suffer most, as they are the ones who cook for their families. In rural communities where there are high levels of poverty and illiteracy, women are very disadvantaged and restricted to the domestic sphere, looking after their family as well as livestock and crops. They spend hours each day collecting firewood for the stoves, which are inefficient and require large amounts of fuel.

In 2013, non-profit organisation the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan launched a programme to improve the lives of the estimated four in five rural women who lack access to a clean, safe cooking resource. The programme teaches women to build a hygienic, sustainable, smokeless earthen stove known as a ‘Chulah’, which not only improves their health but also empowers them to earn a living by marketing and building stoves in other villages.

How it works

The Chulah is a low-cost, fuel-efficient double stove on an elevated earthen platform. It is built from sun-dried mud bricks and strengthened with lime render. The design is Disaster Risk Reduction compliant, meaning it is more robust than traditional floor-mounted stoves, which are easily damaged by earthquakes or washed away by floodwater, leaving families without the ability to cook in emergency situations.

An air regulation pipe transfers heat from the first stove to the second, improving efficiency by making it possible to cook two pots from the same fire. When the fire is lit, the Chulah’s chimney emits smoke at a high level, eliminating the damaging pollution associated with traditional open-flame stoves. Better hygiene is promoted with the inclusion of handwashing facilities as well as storage space for cooking utensils.

Women construct the Chulahs themselves under the guidance of a Barefoot Village Entrepreneur (BVE) or ‘Stove Sister’. The Heritage Foundation initially trained 35 BVEs – mostly women with very low literacy levels who, after implementing the scheme in their own village, visit neighbouring communities to market the product. BVEs charge a fee of USD$2 to teach women to build a Chulah. This is paid in two instalments: half in advance and half once the stove is finished. This system helps with affordability and ensures the self-built stove is functioning properly as the BVE can check its performance once completed. BVEs also provide hygiene training to encourage handwashing prior to handling food.

The total cost of building a Chulah is low at around USD$8 and is paid for by the household. This includes the training fee, USD$3 for a bag of lime, and USD$3 for sand and gravel. Clay and earth is locally sourced and freely available and there are no labour costs because the women carry out the work themselves. It takes two days to build a Chulah and another two days to decorate one, making each stove a personal work of art.

Since 2014, more than 40,000 stoves have been built, mostly in villages in Lower Sindh, benefitting more than 300,000 people with improved health and better food. The popularity of the stoves has grown mainly via word-of-mouth recommendation. For example, friends and relatives who visit a home with a Chulah often express an interest in building one for themselves and BVEs take these opportunities to market the product and spread the technique.

The scheme has minimal running costs, aside from USD$5,000 spent on training the initial 35 BVEs, which was paid by the International Labour Organisation.

Clear benefits

In spite of the Chulah’s clear health benefits, implementation of the programme has not been without its challenges. In conservative rural communities, men are not accustomed to women working independently and some women initially faced opposition from their male partners, until they learned that a BVE could earn substantial income. In some cases men have joined their wives in the venture, which has ultimately contributed to the success of the scheme. One BVE named Champa and her husband have helped others to build 20,000 stoves and earned USD$40,000.

The opportunity to earn money is not the only way the Chulah scheme is empowering marginalised women. The stove’s large raised platform achieves greater dignity for women by enabling them to cook and carry out other household tasks while standing rather than crouching on the floor. The stove improves cooking efficiency by around 25 per cent – saving valuable time – and can also become a focal point in the village, where women from neighbouring houses can meet and interact, strengthening social ties.

The Chulah also benefits the environment by reducing the use of firewood by 50 – 70 per cent. The use of agricultural waste, small twigs or sawdust bricks as fuel helps to prevent further deforestation and environmental degradation and also means women no longer need to spend excessive time collecting wood.

Since launching the programme, The Heritage Foundation has learned that many families use the Chulah to keep warm in the winter. The organisation recognises the potential benefit of this dual function for impoverished families and hopes to develop a new design that would better direct heat from the stove into rooms.

The Chulah’s future

The Heritage Foundation believes the Chulah programme has an important role to play in the alleviation of rural poverty both in Pakistan and in other countries where the materials needed to construct the stoves are readily available.

It is working closely with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in the construction of 40,000 zero carbon shelters in Pakistan. Through this programme, Chulah training has been given to women in other parts of the country with mixed success.

In Upper Sindh, 100 teams of men and women were trained and 7,000 Chulahs have been built. In Shangla and Dera Ismael Khan, however, just 150 and 50 Chulahs have been constructed respectively. This is due to restrictions on women leaving their homes or villages, which has hampered marketing and training opportunities.

The Heritage Foundation remains committed to the programme and aims to build 100,000 Chulahs per year. The organisation is currently seeking funding to carry out large-scale training of new BVEs in different regions of Pakistan. This would enable the Chulah to be used in even the most remote corners of the country, providing a source of income, lowering living costs and improving the health of millions of marginalised women and their families.

View the full project summary here – available in English only

Authors:

World Habitat

Affordable and safe housing for single mothers in Japan

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Affordable and safe housing for single mothers in Japan

Mismatches Diversity Vulnerable groups Gender

Policies and regulations National policies Governance

Financing Cultural actors Public funding

Urban Design Quality Equity

Promotion and production

Main objectives of the project

Housing single mothers in Japan

Single mothers in Japan are being provided with a safe and stable home to live in, thanks to an innovative project that utilises some of the millions of vacant properties in the country.

It can be hard for single mothers to find an affordable place to live because it is difficult for women to work after having children in Japan and they are often assumed to be financially unstable. Social stigma, lack of economic opportunities and sky-high living costs in cities like Tokyo mean the majority of single mothers and their children live below the poverty line.

Little Ones – a non-profit organisation established in 2008 to support the rising number of single parent families – works with property owners, estate agents and local government to acquire empty or abandoned homes. These account for 14 per cent of Japan’s total housing stock and are considered a huge problem. The properties are renovated using government subsidies and rented out to single mothers at discounted rates.

The project has received national recognition for its work to eliminate housing poverty and has been identified as best practice in the management of Japan’s vacant properties. Since 2013, Little Ones has housed more than 200 single mothers using this approach, turning problematic abandoned houses into much-needed homes for a vulnerable group of women and children.

Date

2018:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: Asia
Country/Region: Japan, Tokyo

Description

Being a single parent is tough wherever you might live, but single mothers in Japan live in a culture that makes them particularly vulnerable to poverty and social isolation. Japanese society is very conservative and it is considered taboo to be a single parent. A culture of shame means single mothers are looked down upon and often hide their situation from friends and family.

Women traditionally stop working when they have a child and it can be very difficult for single mothers to find employment. In nearly 80 per cent of divorces, full custody is awarded to the mother and because there is no system for enforcing child support payments in Japan, single mothers often shoulder the financial burden of bringing up their children alone.

Little Ones – a Tokyo-based non-profit organisation established in 2008 by social activist Koyama Kunihisa – is working hard to support the rising number of single parent families in Japan (90 per cent of which are single mothers) and raise awareness of the growing issue of child poverty.

The number of single mother households in the country rose by around 50 per cent between 1992 and 2016, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Finding somewhere to live can be especially challenging for these women because landlords are wary of giving tenancies to single mothers, who they assume to be financially unreliable.

The prejudices faced by single mothers have an extremely negative impact on their lives and also on the prospects of their children. According to Ministry of Health statistics, 16 per cent of Japanese children live below the poverty line but among working single-parent households the rate hits 54 per cent, affecting health and educational outcomes.

Little Ones operates an innovative scheme that provides single mothers and their children with safe, affordable and stable housing, while also making use of the nation’s problematic glut of empty homes.

Empty homes crisis

Japan’s population is both ageing and declining. When a family member moves out of their home or dies, their property is often inherited by relatives who have no use for it and view it as a financial burden. A healthy construction industry coupled with a lack of buyers means the resale market is slow. There is no obligation to register ownership of properties in Japan, so owners can simply walk away from an unwanted property and avoid paying inheritance and land taxes. The result is that around nine million homes in Japan (14 per cent of total residential stock) are unoccupied.

The number of vacant or abandoned homes – known as ‘akiya’ – is expected to rise as the population continues to decline. The Nomura Research Institute predicts the number of akiya will reach 21.7 million by 2033 – roughly one-third of all Japan’s homes. To address the growing crisis, the Japanese government passed the Vacant Houses Special Measures Act in 2015 to promote the demolition and reuse of abandoned houses.

Little Ones identified the new law as an opportunity to expand its existing work turning abandoned or unoccupied private houses into affordable homes for single mothers. The organisation works directly with property owners, estate agents and local government to acquire empty homes to renovate and rent out.

Little Ones helps owners of vacant homes apply for a government grant, which covers two-thirds of renovation costs for homes that will be rented to low-income tenants. These costs can be prohibitively high for individuals to meet alone, because the homes must comply with building standards and stringent earthquake regulations.

Once renovated, single mothers sign a two-year rental contract and can request subsequent extensions. Little Ones manages the properties that have been let to single mothers on behalf of the local government. Rent is typically 10 – 20 per cent below market rate but in cities like Tokyo, where rent and living costs are very high, single mothers can struggle to meet the payments, even if they are able to find employment.

Little Ones offers payment plans for tenants who have difficulty paying their rent, enabling them to pay by instalments. The organisation acts as a guarantor and pays the full rental fee to the landlord in advance. Tenants are provided with careers coaching and living support, for example a free helpline, emergency food and clothing, and legal advice for victims of domestic violence.

The annual running costs of the housing project are USD$18,000, which is met by government grants and donations. Little Ones receives around USD$30,000 per year in donations from companies and offers a USD$30 annual membership to people who want to support single mothers. Some akiya owners pay Little Ones a consultancy fee.

Changing lives

Since 2013, Little Ones has used its empty homes project to house more than 200 single mothers in Tokyo, Osaka and Chiba. In 2017 alone, the scheme supported more than 1,300 single mothers and renovated and rented out 68 homes to single mothers across Japan.

Through its housing project and wider support work, Little Ones is helping to change deep-rooted misconceptions of single mothers and helping to remove some of the social stigma that blights the lives of these women and their children. In 2016, the organisation set up an online support network and resource containing information on jobs, housing availability and schools etc. By offering opportunities for single mothers and their children to meet up in the community, Little Ones helps this vulnerable and isolated group create an important social network.

The impact of the project can also be seen at street level. Abandoned houses are often eyesores, posing serious health and safety risks in densely populated areas and becoming magnets for vandalism and anti-social behaviour. By renovating these homes and bringing them back into use, the Little Ones project is physically improving neighbourhoods for the community at large and providing an environmentally sustainable alternative to the ‘scrap and build’ culture in Japan. The project also offers a stable income stream to akiya owners who would otherwise have to pay a vacant property tax.

The future

Little Ones is continuing its work to eliminate housing poverty among single mother households and is keen to share its experiences with others around the world. The project is the first in Japan to provide affordable housing for single mothers and their children by renovating unoccupied or abandoned urban properties and has been recognised nationally as good practice in the management of the empty homes crisis.

Little Ones is now scaling up its approach in other cities and working towards creating a regional mechanism that would enable every single mother in Japan to find and choose an affordable home. As part of this it is advocating for the government to create a framework for rental assistance for single parent families.

For the hundreds of single mothers already benefitting from the project, having a safe and stable environment to call home is an essential first step in their journey out of poverty and towards building a better life for their children.

View the full project summary here – available in English only

Authors:

World Habitat

Hemsworth Court

0

Hemsworth Court

Policies and regulations Governance Evaluation and impact

Urban Design Inclusion Equity

Promotion and production Public promotion

Main objectives of the project

Hemsworth Court is a purpose-built, supported housing development for people with dementia and cognitive impairment. Based in Lower Shankhill in Belfast, a deprived area affected for many years by civil unrest, it has become the first dementia-friendly community in the city.

With the number of dementia diagnoses set to rise to over one million in the UK by 2025, Hemsworth Court shows how to successfully develop dementia-friendly housing. By providing 24-hour care with dementia-friendly facilities which help to avoid potential confusion and distress, residents are supported to live independently within their community.

Awareness of dementia in the local community has increased through Hemsworth Court’s wider work with charities, faith groups, schools and local businesses. This means that local people understand and interact more with residents and many take part in social events. Lower Shankhill, an area heavily affected by the conflict in Northern Ireland, continues to face challenges in health, education, employment and housing. Hemsworth Court has provided a positive boost to the whole community through training and encouragement to interact with, understand and support its residents.

Date

2017:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: Europe
City: Belfast
Country/Region: Belfast, United Kingdom

Description

Project Description

Hemsworth Court, which opened in 2013, is a purpose-built, supported housing development for people with dementia and cognitive impairment in Lower Shankhill, a deprived area in Belfast, Northern Ireland affected for many years by civil unrest.

In 2009, the city’s public sector health and social care provider Belfast Health and Social Care Trust needed to provide a new facility in this part of Belfast to replace an existing building. They wanted to take a community-focused approach so the Trust worked with Helm Housing (now Radius Housing Association) to develop an exemplary, dementia friendly scheme involving much more than the building itself. The Hemsworth Court project involved a holistic approach to working with the community. The new building was delivered alongside community-wide training, with a team employed to lead on community integration. This work made Lower Shankhill – an area that for some time had suffered significant deprivation and had a poor reputation – the first Dementia Friendly Community in Belfast.

The majority of the funding for the project came from Supporting People (a public-sector programme run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive which promotes independent living). The project was a response to a range of strategies and plans within Northern Ireland designed to improve the way the needs of older people and people with dementia are met.

The UK charity Alzheimer’s Society also advised on the development, which was completed in 2013. There are 35 modern apartments with communal facilities including a coffee bar, cinema and games room, library, cookery room, gym, hairdressers and gardens. Although Hemsworth Court itself has many facilities, that doesn’t mean that it is separated from the local community, quite the reverse. Local people are able to use many of the facilities at Hemsworth Court and social activities are arranged which involve residents and the wider public alike.

Hemsworth Court has been designed to promote independence. Support is also in place so residents can carry out everyday tasks like shopping and other activities. The people who live at Hemsworth Court are supported to live independently in their local area with 24-hour care available, so they can carry on with their lives with all the support they need in place. This is really important to the people living there and their families, as the onset of dementia and the disruption it causes to many aspects of people’s lives can be highly distressing.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of Hemsworth Court is to provide a quality home for people with dementia that allows them to live happily and independently alongside their community. They also aim to:

Empower adults with dementia to maintain independence, wellbeing and social inclusion.
Educate and create awareness of dementia in the local community, to increase the safety and well-being of dementia sufferers.
Reduce the loneliness and isolation of people with dementia.
Reduce the stigma associated with the condition.

Context

Dementia is a term which describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. There are 850,000 people with dementia in the United Kingdom, with numbers set to rise to over one million by 2025. A 2013 report by the Alzheimer’s Society indicated that Belfast has the highest rates of diagnosis of dementia in the UK.

Hemsworth Court is located in the Lower Shankhill area, which has been designated for regeneration by Belfast City Council. Predominantly a Protestant/Loyalist area, Lower Shankhill was heavily affected by ‘The Troubles’, three decades of civil and political unrest and conflict in Northern Ireland which began in the 1960s. The Troubles are deemed to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, but the after effects are still felt in many communities. In Lower Shankhill, deprivation is high in terms of health, education and training, crime, employment, income and housing. The community suffers from high unemployment and negative perceptions of the area. A high proportion of the local population are on low incomes and have few formal qualifications. Many people who lived through and are survivors of the political conflict live in the area and have experienced problems with their mental and physical health. This has contributed to high health and social deprivation.

Services for older residents, and in particular residents with dementia, are in high demand in Northern Ireland. Research by the Alzheimer’s Society found there are over 20,000 people living with dementia across the country. In 2009, when the Hemsworth Court project started, there were 158 people with dementia on the waiting list for Helm Housing, of which 103 were considered in housing need. At that point there were no facilities available to provide supported housing for people living with dementia in Lower Shankhill. There is an ever increasing demand for this type of comprehensive facility and today Hemsworth Court is full and has a long waiting list.

Key Features

In order to make sure that Hemsworth Court really became part of the local community a strand of work called the Hemsworth Court Community Integration Project was set up. This was developed through partnerships with the Alzheimer’s Society, faith groups, older people’s groups, community policing, local charities, schools and businesses. The impact of these activities has been to ensure that Hemsworth Court and the wider neighbourhood responds positively to the needs of dementia sufferers. Before and after the building was completed activities took place within and beyond the Lower Shankhill area to raise awareness about dementia and include local people in the project. These activities had a strong intergenerational and cross community focus and included:

The ‘Social Sofa’, a colourful concrete sofa designed and decorated by residents which toured the area so people could sit, have a chat and share memories and ideas. This activity also worked to bring dementia into the public eye and stimulated discussion amongst residents and via the media.
The project became involved in the Belfast Walkability Project, which engaged older residents in conversations about how public spaces can be better designed for them.

A key feature of the development of Hemsworth Court was about understanding how dementia has an impact on everyday life and making appropriate decisions about design at an early stage to accommodate these needs. Research has shown that the cognitive impairment affecting people with dementia can be aggravated by building design. For this reason an interior design company specialising in design for dementia were used. All design and materials are dementia friendly, chosen to be familiar to residents to avoid potential confusion and distress.

Including and beyond the three main organisations (Helm Housing, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society), partnership working was key to the success of this development. Stakeholders with an important role in influencing the work included:

People with dementia themselves and their families.
Local businesses who have learnt about the needs of their customers and service users with dementia, enabling them to provide the appropriate support.
Specialists in design and construction.
Public bodies involved in providing funding and applying best practice including:
- the national government in Northern Ireland;
- Belfast City Council;
- the Northern Ireland Health Executive;
- the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority and the Dementia Services Development Centre.

What impact has it had?

Lower Shankill is a traditionally ‘hard to reach’ area, with many households affected by high levels of deprivation and isolation. This project has contributed to increasing social interaction locally. There is greater cooperation amongst residents, local communities and local businesses. Dementia friendly training in the local community has helped to reduce the stigma associated with the condition and being one of the first dementia friendly communities in Northern Ireland has created a sense of pride in the local community. Public awareness of dementia has increased through the wider activities like the Social Sofa art installation, which succeeded in attracting attention and addressing the stigma of dementia as an issue.

Hemsworth Court has succeeded in helping people living with dementia to retain independence and increased the acceptance and understanding of dementia sufferers in the wider community. The scheme has recognised the right of dementia sufferers to safe, secure housing.

How is it funded?

Total capital costs were £5,025,178 (US$6,497,555), made up of:

Land – £300,000 (US$387,900)
On-costs – £747,405 (US$966,395)
Construction – £3,977,773 (US$5,143,260)

Costs were met by a Department of Communities Grant of £4,598,128 (US$5,945,380) and private finance of £427,050 (US$552,175).

Annual running costs are covered by Helm Housing (now Radius Housing) for the maintenance of the buildings. Day-to-day running costs are funded through rent and housing benefit payments. Care costs are met by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

The average rent is £123.45 (US$159.62) for a one-bedroom unit and £125.35 (US$162.08) for two bedrooms per week.

Future costs are highly uncertain due to funding pressures faced by service providers and Housing Associations.

Why is it innovative?

Hemsworth Court is the only provider of dementia friendly supported living in the city of Belfast. One of its most innovative features is the fact families can live together so people with dementia can get 24-hour professional care while also living with their family.

This purpose built accommodation allows people with dementia or cognitive impairment to remain independent with care and support available when needed. Residents can remain in the area instead of being forced to move into a nursing home outside of their community. This helps to maintain their well-being and ability to cope with the stresses of the condition.

The work to integrate the development with the community has helped to boost an area which has suffered from long-term deprivation and decline. While the activities carried out to integrate people with dementia or cognitive impairment were designed to ensure the well-being of the residents of Hemsworth Court, they have had a wider impact in improving the image and sense of pride of the local community.

The other activities that took place alongside the construction of Hemsworth Court, like the Social Sofa art project, helped to build links between people with dementia and the wider community. The Social Sofa captured the memories of residents through art in a partnership with local community groups, schools and staff from Hemsworth Court. It created a discussion point to bring the topic out into the open and was the first activity of its kind in Northern Ireland.

What is the environmental impact?

The design and construction of the housing includes several environmentally sustainable features such as baths and toilets that use less water than traditional ones, energy efficient gas-fired boilers, responsibly sourced timber, energy efficient lighting and solar panels.

Rainwater is collected in underground tanks to supply half of the toilets, with top-ups from the mains water supply. The whole building is fitted with a heat recovery ventilation system, which recycles hot air from inside while bringing in cooler air from outside. Hemsworth Court has been rated four out of six stars under the Code for Sustainable Homes [1].

The grounds of the building have been landscaped to contribute to local biodiversity and allow residents to enjoy the gardens. Residents are encouraged to reduce their environmental impact by using recycling bins, external drying spaces and cycle storage is provided to encourage people to cycle.

[1] The Code for Sustainable Homes was withdrawn by the UK Government in 2015. Elements of it have been merged into general Building Regulations

Is it financially sustainable?

For residents, rental payments are lower than market rate and housing benefits contribute towards these costs for those households that are eligible. The services provided to residents are subsidised by the government-funded Supporting People programme and there are no significant changes to running costs anticipated in the future.

Budget cuts present an issue for the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, particularly in replicating the model to other specialised supported living accommodation. However, it is hoped that the success of Hemsworth Court will attract further funding from the public and private sectors to replicate the project in other areas.

What is the social impact?

Hemsworth Court has become a community hub hosting information days, community group meetings and health education events. The main aim is to support residents so they are genuinely integrated into their local community. The stigma associated with dementia has been reduced and there is now a better understanding of the condition within the local community.

People living at Hemsworth Court have lots of opportunities to take part in community activities and these can help develop their cognitive skills. The availability of an Activity Coordinator, support staff and the increased awareness within the local community about how to support people with dementia or cognitive impairment has increased the confidence of the residents, enabling them to live more independently.

The Social Sofa helped to achieve wider awareness about the challenge of dementia and cognitive impairment. The Social Sofa project was a collaborative project and involved schoolchildren and a local arts centre. This project really helped residents to develop artistic skills and build confidence.

Barriers

The initial challenge of the programme was raising awareness of dementia and educating the community on the condition. Workshops for local businesses helped to change attitudes and integrate the community, professionals, residents and families. Amongst carers there was some fear or lack of understanding of how to care for their loved one with dementia, especially regarding safety. Belfast Health and Social Care Trust provided a training programme for carers to help overcome this barrier. This included improving people’s understanding of the condition, supporting families to accept a diagnosis and learning how supported housing works.

Although Hemsworth Court is an award-winning scheme and hugely popular with residents and the community, funding to replicate the scheme is not available from the same sources due to budget cuts. It is hoped that the high quality of the scheme and savings to health services (through the reduced need for hospital stays or nursing care among residents) may be successful in attracting investment from elsewhere.

Lessons Learned

There is a need to challenge the attitude that residential or nursing homes are the only viable options for the long-term care of people with dementia.
Residents and the community need to work together to allow people with dementia to maintain their dignity and independence by feeling welcomed and are able to continue everyday activities in their community.
It is important to raise awareness about a programme like this at early stages, to encourage integration within the community.
Partnership working and training are necessary to build the knowledge and skills of professionals not familiar with dementia-friendly approaches to housing and care.

Evaluation

Hemsworth Court has successfully passed two government-led inspections:

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority inspects supported living developments at least once a year. Hemsworth Court successfully passed the last two annual inspections with no issues raised.
Supporting People is the policy and funding framework for housing support services and assesses 17 objectives within its Quality Assessment Framework. This assessment noted that care records are person-centred and the views and preferences of individuals are taken into account.

Recognition

The project has received a number of awards:

Belfast Housing and Social Care Trust Chairman’s Award 2015 Dignity in Dementia.
Dementia Services Development Centre Gold Standard Award Dementia Appropriate Environment.
Alzheimer’s Society 2015 Dementia Friendly Communities Award.
Elevator Award Dublin City University & Health Service Executive Award 2015 Community Integration and Social Sofa.
William Keown Architects Access Award 2015 Accessible Housing Environment.
Chartered Institute of Housing Awards 2015 – Finalist for Promoting Integration Award.
European Responsible Housing Awards 2016 – Finalist for Good Governance and Fair Relations with Stakeholders.
In addition the Social Sofa initiative has featured in local and national news.

Transfer

Hemsworth Court has developed a template for others to adapt if they want to deliver specialist supported housing. It can be used to provide housing which helps vulnerable people to live fuller independent lives.

The dementia friendly approach of Hemsworth Court has been transferred to the town of Holywood to the north of Belfast. This is a partnership scheme between Radius Housing and Dementia Northern Ireland. Holywood is now a dementia friendly town.

Hemsworth Court has also been visited by Australian housing professionals who are keen to adopt the model.

Funding issues are a major barrier in transferring the model in the UK. The level of grant funding that Helm Housing received is no longer available from Supporting People or the government of Northern Ireland, though as the approach to caring for people with dementia or cognitive impairment offers long term savings for health services there may be potential for investment in the approach from other sources.

Authors:

World Habitat

Düzce Hope Homes

0

Düzce Hope Homes

Policies and regulations Local policies Governance Evaluation and impact

Urban Design Environments Equity

Promotion and production Public promotion Self-management Transformation and adaptation Management and maintenance

Ownership and tenure

Main objectives of the project

Formed after the community lost their homes in two devastating earthquakes, Düzce Hope Homes is the result of a 15 year rights-based struggle in Northern Turkey.

Following the earthquakes, which killed over 18,000 people and destroyed 100,000 homes in 1999, non-homeowners did not receive post-disaster support from the government. Over 140,000 people were left with nowhere to live except prefabricated emergency shelters. A co-operative was set-up to fight for the right to housing to be extended to tenant victims of the earthquakes. Through many years of mobilisation and activism, including mass demonstrations and government lobbying, they eventually secured subsidised land on which to rebuild their homes and community.

Co-operative members have been involved in the planning, design and construction from the beginning. Groundwork on the houses has begun with people expecting to move into their new homes in 2018.

This community-led approach is so unique in Turkey that it has received widespread interest, support and enthusiasm from experts and volunteers. Historically, experts (such as architects, urban planners, civil engineers, social scientists, artists and construction workers) work on developments in siloes, distant from the people who will live in the homes when built. Through this project experts, communities and volunteers have found and embraced new ways of working together more collaboratively.

Date

2017:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: Asia
City: Düzce
Country/Region: Turkey

Description

Project Description

Düzce Hope Homes is a cooperative housing programme focused on post-disaster reconstruction in the Beyköy district of the province of Düzce in Northern Turkey. But the programme is about much more than the housing itself. The achievements of the cooperative in gaining access to suitable, subsidised land and developing secure, affordable housing for some of the province’s most vulnerable families is the result of a 15 year struggle for the right to housing.

The Düzce Hope Homes programme was established by Düzce Solidarity Housing Cooperative for Homeless and Tenant Earthquake Victims, a cooperative founded by local people in 2003. Four years previously two devastating earthquakes had hit the area killing over 18,000 people and destroying over 100,000 homes and leaving over 140,000 people with nowhere to live except prefabricated emergency shelters. When their homes and community were destroyed, people joined together to create their own housing solution. Most of the reconstruction work that took place in Turkey after the 1999 earthquakes was based around homeowners – this project extends the right to housing to renters.

The Düzce Solidarity Housing Cooperative for Homeless and Tenant Earthquake Victims was formed to address the fight for the rights of those on the lowest incomes in the community. In the same year, 2003, the cooperative organised the first of a series of mass demonstrations, involving hundreds of people in collective protest on the streets demanding subsidised loans and serviced land. Initially in Düzce and later in the capital Ankara, these protests included encampments of affected families in the capital’s parks. In some cases those involved were taken into police custody. In 2004, after much lobbying and direct action the government’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing allocated six plots of land for the housing need of low income residents. The land initially offered by the state to the cooperative in 2004 was unsuitable and it took until 2012 following further direct action and a legal challenge by the cooperative for suitable land to be handed over to the community.

The mutual aid approach[1] of the programme has meant that future residents have been involved at all stages, including actively getting involved in lobbying for their housing rights as well as in the development of plans and designs and in the construction work.

A team of professionals who volunteer their time to the programme has formed Düzce Hope Studio, a collaborative design studio in Istanbul. This group of volunteer architects, engineers, urban planners and sociologists was formed in 2014 to support Düzce Hope Homes with designing and building houses with the involvement of local residents. The participatory workshops and activities run by Düzce Hope Studio which have been a key part of the development of the programme have included specific workshops for different sections of the community including children, older people and women. Now, the work of the cooperative involves more than 300 people (four full time employees on the site, around 40 members regularly work on the site, 234 cooperative members working once a week and 50+ volunteers from Düzce Hope Studio, a collective of volunteer architects, engineers, urban planners, and sociologists).

The criteria for membership of the cooperative ensures that the housing that is developed is only available to local people on low incomes. Membership of Düzce Hope Homes cooperative is open to people who:

Have no existing ownership of property.
Are on a low income.
Live in Düzce province.
Work one day a month per household at the construction site.
Participate in the design and management of the project.
Were resident in Düzce at the time of the 1999 earthquake.The significant progress the cooperative has made to date in lobbying for rights and achieving access to land has formed the basis for the actual construction work. The groundwork of the housing units was successfully completed in October 2016, two years after paying the first instalment for the land. The site on which the housing is being built is on a hillside situated between a government built mass housing project and an industrial area including a large glass factory.

Some communal facilities, such as an organic garden, have already been completed. The development is expected to be completed by 2018 and will include 234 housing units for members, three housing units for the building concierges – for a total of one thousand people in 29 buildings. There will also be a community centre, urban gardens, a women’s cooperative kitchen and public spaces. These public spaces will benefit an additional 5,000 people in the district.

[1] Mutual aid housing cooperatives involve people working together and supporting each other to provide their own homes. The approach uses ‘sweat equity’, meaning people contribute towards the cost of building their homes with their own labour. Homes are collectively owned by members of the cooperative.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of the work of the Düzce Hope Homes cooperative is to ensure the right to permanently affordable housing for earthquake victims, in particular for people who were tenants before the earthquakes.

Several factors contribute to this overarching aim including:

Persistent activism, campaigning and lobbying for change.
Active community participation in advocating for the right to housing for all, including some of the province’s most marginalised communities.
Participation of the community in delivering their own housing including sweat equity.
Collaboration between professionals (e.g. architects) and communities to develop housing that fits with local needs and preferences.
Ensuring permanently affordable housing for local people on low incomes.
Building more resilient and environmentally sustainable housing.
Creating strong neighbourhoods which go beyond housing.
Improved public and communal spaces for community use.

Context

Housing cooperatives began to be formed in the 1930s in Turkey and there are currently about two million people living in housing that was originally formed by a cooperative. It has been the case, however, that many of the cooperatives that were set up to develop the housing have not remained as cooperatives once the housing has been built. In addition, housing cooperatives in Turkey have had a particularly poor reputation. As stated in the 2013 report of the United Nation’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) “… the word ‘cooperative’ implied a specific political attitude and recalled stories of fraud and corruption, particularly when associated with housing cooperatives.”

From 1993 to 2002, there was a decrease in the development of housing cooperatives, in part due to the major economic challenges facing Turkey. The state reduced its financial support and existing housing co-operatives experienced operational deficits, the price of land rose and people’s ability to save money was also affected by rising prices.

In August 1999, a major earthquake hit the Marmara region of Turkey and this was followed by a second quake in November of the same year, the epicentre of which was the province of Düzce. Between 2001 and 2005, 57 houses were built by villagers working together and with people from outside the villages but many more families were left living in unsuitable housing. Prior to the development of Düzce Hope Homes cooperative the government support for the victims of the earthquakes was only focused on homeowners, leaving tenants without any funding or rights to housing.

Key Features

This comprehensive, community-led programme has several key features, as summarised below:

Focused on and delivering the right to housing for everyone in the community, particularly people on low incomes.
Ensuring the long-term affordability of housing.
Using the actual development and construction as a way of building collaboration and a real sense of community.
Cost savings as the cooperative has managed the process themselves, sourced materials directly from producers and due to members’ ‘sweat equity’ contributions.
A Women’s Production Cooperative is in the process of being formally registered, although production has already started. This initiative has been established to generate income and the construction of a cooperative kitchen.
There are five different designs of homes, which are customised to meet the needs of different family sizes or types. These designs are based on a participatory design process including one-to-one sessions with each family.
A central courtyard system and community spaces were designed to bring neighbours together and encourage a strong sense of community.
A proactive approach to getting support from volunteers from other countries, with international collaborations and strong partnerships set up as a result including ‘task forces’ of hands-on workers and professionals.

A number of other organisations have been involved with the project:

One Hope Association is a voluntary organisation which supports low-income urban communities with regeneration projects. They helped with advice on health and safety standards for workers and were involved in providing aid immediately after the earthquake.
The Düzce Hope Studio has provided volunteer architects, engineers, urban planners and sociologists. It was set up after an open call from the One Hope Association specifically to support the cooperative.
The local council in Beyköy was in charge of zoning approvals and planning permission.
Local Planning and Design Schools and the Centre for Spatial Justice provided technical support, volunteers and fundraising.
The Swiss Housing Cooperatives Solidarity Fund financially supports members on the lowest incomes with a ‘social safety net fund’.

What impact has it had?

The policy context in Turkey has been influenced directly by those involved in the Düzce Hope Homes cooperative development. At a national level, securing the right to land and housing for non-home owners on low incomes after natural disasters is a significant achievement of the project. Through a determined campaign of activism, at a local level the cooperative has successfully gained access to suitable, serviced land for families and are on track to complete the first mutual aid housing cooperative in Turkey.

Some of the current members of the cooperative were children when the earthquake happened in 1999. Many have joined their parents in fighting for their right to housing, leading to community action across the generations.

Düzce Hope Studio is a space for architects, urban planners, civil engineers, social scientists and artists to work together towards a social aim. They have organised and launched public events, exhibitions and publications. This has helped to introduce participatory planning and design to the wider urban planning and design community in Turkey. The Studio receives invitations from other cities in Turkey to share their experiences.

The proactive approach to collaboration taken by Düzce Hope Homes has inspired people to join and help and has attracted lots of goodwill, for example, from local construction workers and bank managers who have started volunteering for the project.

The local council is now more willing to provide affordable housing within the district and some private developers have adopted participatory practices within their work.

How is it funded?

The estimated cost of the project is 18 million Turkish Lira (US$5,064,431) for 31,000 square metres of construction. These costs include:

Land payments to the Mass Housing Authority – 2.3 million Turkish Lira (US$647,122) of which 460,000 Turkish Lira (US$129,424) has already been paid.
Groundwork – around 3 million Turkish Lira (US$844,072) has already been spent.
Rough and detail construction – around 11 million Turkish Lira (US$3,094,930).

The expected costs of construction for the next two years are 15 million Turkish Lira (US$4,155,355) which will be paid from cooperative membership fees and bank loans. As interest rates on bank loans are very high in Turkey, the cooperative is seeking alternatives, including funds or loans from international development agencies. The expected costs of the project after the construction will be mainly on the maintenance and management of the site.

Once the construction is finished, an average unit cost (76,000 Turkish Lira) (US$21,053) will be lower than the cost of the cheapest two bedroom flat at the neighbouring government mass housing project (110,000 Turkish Lira) (US$30,472). The average cost to residents of renting a housing unit is approximately 600 Turkish Lira (US$168.81) per square metre. This is half of the current market rate in this area.

As the project is not yet complete, the annual running costs are not yet clear. However, these will include rubbish collection, cleaning, maintenance, electricity for public spaces and managing the community centre. Community facilities will generate income through the Women’s Production Cooperative, an organic food market, a repair shop and a children’s nursery. Some of this income will go towards the site management fund for annual running costs.

Why is it innovative?

The quality of housing available to people in Turkey is generally determined by income. Victims of the 1999 earthquakes started this programme, which is the first tenants’ movement for low-income people fighting for their right to adequate housing. This is the first mass housing project in the country to be planned and designed by its residents. Their housing needs have been identified by the cooperative members themselves.

A participatory approach to delivering affordable housing has never previously been on the national agenda. This mutual aid, hands-on approach to cooperative housing is much more common in other parts of the world, particularly Latin America. This cooperative signifies a first not only for the post-disaster context in Turkey but in fact mutual aid has not been adopted in any previous housing development in the country. The approach goes beyond housing as shelter by encouraging strong neighbourhoods and a sense of community.

The truly cooperative approach taken at all stages of the development of the programme means that it is much more likely to survive as a cooperative once the houses are lived in, unlike the majority of the existing housing cooperatives in Turkey. Longer term affordability of the housing for low income families is therefore much more likely to be assured than in other schemes.

Innovative cost-cutting measures have been developed, which have lowered the cost of the first construction phase. Workshops are held for members, the technical team and construction workers. These bring everyone together to decide on materials and techniques to be used. Materials are purchased directly from producers. This has helped to make the homes affordable to those on the lowest incomes. To keep the homes affordable long-term, members are not allowed to sell to third parties without approval from the cooperative.

What is the environmental impact?

Nineteen different materials for the exterior walls of the houses were studied by experts at Düzce Hope Studio. Based on this study, five options were presented to the cooperative and the most energy efficient option, aerated concrete, was chosen. This is light, porous and naturally improves heat insulation. Where possible, building materials have been sourced locally. Soil needed for ground level construction was sourced directly from a landfill site next door, reducing the need for transport. Sustainable local wood has been used for building the community centre.

Cooperative members have learned about producing compost from organic waste and recycling. The compost created by waste from the community kitchen is used at the community garden. They are looking into ways to use solar panels for heating and electricity at the community centre and also in the housing units when completed.

Is it financially sustainable?

Any expected costs for the future will be mainly for the maintenance and management of the buildings and gardens. These costs will be met by residents’ monthly membership fees and income generated by the cooperative. There are plans to build a community oven, which will be used to make and sell bread. Any profits on the sale of bread and money generated by the women’s cooperative kitchen will be help to bring income into the cooperative.

The project itself is not reliant on any future funding streams. However, the speed of the remaining construction works will be affected by the availability of future funds. This may delay the completion date. The funds and labour contributed by the cooperative are secure.

Membership fees for the cooperative will be increased once residents move into their new home to incorporate their monthly rent. This means that residents don’t pay rent for properties in the cooperative at the same time as construction costs.

Members on the lowest incomes are helped to pay their contributions with assistance from a fund set up by the Swiss Housing Cooperatives Solidarity Fund.

Employment is created both during and after construction. All employment will be kept within the cooperative, helping to strengthen the financial position of its members by providing jobs and incomes.

What is the social impact?

The strong sense of involvement and collaboration between local people has really strengthened the sense of community and has also strengthened the social ties which will be so beneficial once everyone is living in the new housing.

The project has reduced social inequalities by providing extra support to some of the most disadvantaged people in the community. This includes a ‘social safety net fund’ for financial assistance (in the form of a relief fund to help pay the rent of members if they lose their job), employment opportunities and the Women’s Production Cooperative Initiative. This promotes gender equality by supporting women to get involved in income generating activities. Women-headed households represent almost half of the total number of households (106 families).

By improving the local infrastructure and public spaces, Düzce Hope Homes cooperative promotes the integration of cooperative members within the wider community. It also improves the whole area for neighbouring households. Düzce Hope Studio has helped the local council to redesign a public community hall and the courtyard of a local mosque.

The completion of the multi-purpose community centre creates opportunities for members to develop their skills through the classes which are held there. An active and healthy lifestyle is encouraged. There is an urban agriculture initiative on-site to produce local healthy food for members.

The community centre will hold an ‘Open Institute Programme’ for the wider community. The aim of this programme is to raise awareness of earthquakes and encourage families to be prepared, advocate for the right to housing, promote participatory housing and demonstrate that housing is more than just shelter.

Local people and the members of the cooperative in particular have gained more confidence in addressing the government and public sector organisations in order to achieve their objectives and establish their rights.

Barriers

Before this programme started there was a perception within society and the local authorities that tenants did not have the right to decent housing. This attitude also had an influence on the cooperative members themselves and initially it was a challenge to change the members’ perception. Previous housing cooperatives in Turkey were not viewed as inclusive or democratic and experts from different disciplines were not included in the development process.

In Turkey housing is often considered to be an investment rather than a human right and this programme has taken an entirely different view. These barriers were overcome by empowering tenants to create a movement fighting for their right to housing. It was important for people to learn about the existing legal framework so they could challenge the authorities.

Some of the professionals working with the residents were not used to working directly with communities, particularly when they were so actively involved in the decision-making. This caused some issues initially but as this was such an important, strong feature of the programme, the professionals soon became familiar with how to adapt their approach to accommodate community involvement.

Lessons Learned

People must be persistent and insist on their right to safe, secure housing.
It is important to understand and use legal rights to overcome barriers.
Negative perceptions of cooperative housing can be overcome by developing a positive, community-led example.

Evaluation

The project has been evaluated by local government and construction inspection companies, as required by law. The finances of the cooperative have also been audited. Members of the cooperative and volunteers from Düzce Hope Studio evaluate the overall success of the project on an ongoing basis. So far, the results have been positive. They look at different aspects including:

Changing perceptions on the right to housing.
Active participation of members.
Including different groups in the community, such as women, older people and young people.
Affordability for the lowest income families.
Transferring knowledge and skills from experts to members of the cooperative.
Environmental and social sustainability.

Recognition

The project has been featured in local and national newspapers, online journals and on television. Several university research projects have focused on the work of Düzce Hope Homes and since the construction site is open to visitors, they regularly host people from Turkey and overseas. The Neighbourhood Union, Volunteers for the Society, Chamber of Architects, Lawyers for Environment and Urban Justice, students and academics from several universities are among those who have visited.

Transfer

The legal framework of the cooperative can be replicated in other neighbourhoods and within other housing cooperatives in Turkey. The participatory approach to planning and design can be used more widely, including state-wide housing projects. The cost-cutting measures used by the cooperative can be replicated by other low-income housing projects.

The entire Düzce Hope Homes model can be transferred to other tenant groups in Turkey. This includes creating a democratic housing cooperative which is self-financed, demanding subsidised public land for building on and having the full participation of residents. The ‘open site’ approach of the construction site has enabled the cooperative to share what they are doing with people and organisations from within and outside Turkey.

The ‘Open Institute Programme’ will teach the wider community about the risks of earthquakes and advocate for the right to housing. It will aim to transfer the knowledge and skills gained by the cooperative to others locally.

Düzce Hope Homes is also affiliated with the Neighbourhood Union of Turkey, a network of 50 informal groups from neighbourhoods facing urban regeneration. The cooperative has been active in sharing their experiences through this network.

The project organised the HOPE Exhibition at Studio X (Istanbul) in 2016 to share their experiences at a national level. In 2015, they took part in the Antalya International Architectural Biennale. Members of the cooperative have started a documentary film project and an online video platform. This has over four hundred videos about Düzce Hope Homes. They have also taken part in conferences at a number of universities including Harvard, University College London and American University of Beirut.

Authors:

World Habitat

From Disaster to Dignity

0

From Disaster to Dignity

Mismatches Services Cultural suitability Vulnerable groups

Policies and regulations Local policies

Financing Public funding

Urban Design Inclusion Segregation Participatory processes

Promotion and production Participatory processes Progressive housing Transformation and adaptation

Main objectives of the project

This savings and credit cooperative set up, run by and for women in rural El Salvador focuses on repairing, rebuilding and improving communities following years of civil unrest and two successive earthquakes.

Through the cooperative, families can access much needed credit and funds for improving homes and one-to-one training to help them manage their finances. By actively empowering women this project helps to create more gender equality in a traditionally male dominated society.

As well as housing, the women have set up a business making environmentally sustainable building materials and they also run a water treatment plant. The training and employment opportunities they offer to local young people are helping them to remain in their community rather than migrating to urban areas.

Date

2016:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: South America
City: Tejutepeque
Country/Region: El Salvador

Description

Project Description

In 1998, a group of 110 women started ACAMS (Asociación Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Solidarias, The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative). Run by and for women, the cooperative began in the rural town of Tejutepeque in El Salvador. Set up to respond to a succession of problems affecting the community – like poverty, armed conflict and earthquakes – it now has 711 members across three municipalities. Two earthquakes badly affected the region in 2001 and a lack of intervention from the Government led ACAMS to focus their activities on rebuilding homes and strengthening communities.

ACAMS has extended its work beyond Tejutepeque to the neighbouring towns of Cinquera and Jutiapa. The membership of the cooperative is made up of about 10% of the female population of these three towns, which collectively have a total population of about 13,000 people. Many of the women who are members are actively involved the discussions and decision making, which are such an important part of the cooperative.

To achieve their objective of strengthening the community, The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative:

Provides credit and raises funds through subsidies for building and improving homes.
Provides training for local people including residents and builders in safe and environmentally-sustainable building techniques.
Produces locally-sourced, environmentally-sustainable building materials.
Provides training for women in household finances, savings and microenterprise management.
Sets up community facilities such as training centres and nursing homes for older residents.

Since 2011, ACAMS has given out 2,406 loans to local residents. These loans enable local families on low incomes to build or restore their own homes and also support income-generating activities such as agriculture or small businesses.

The work of The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative receives support from community organisations and EcoSur (a network of organisations concerned with sharing good practice on housing and habitat in the Global South). Financial support is provided by Solidar Suiza, a Swiss non-governmental organisation, and DESWOS, a German non-profit organisation. Although some projects are dependent on external funding, through the use of revolving loans the organisation is able to support the majority of its own core costs. Many families already own a plot to build on. But when this is not the case, the local government of Tejutepeque guarantees access to land by transferring public land to low income households for housing. This transfer happens in progressive stages, with families securing full ownership once they have completed the loan repayment to the cooperative. The local authority also provides financial support for the wider community projects being carried out by the cooperative, via subsidies, for facilities such as the nursing home for older residents.

Aims and Objectives

The main aims of The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative are to:

Improve the quality of life for their members and the wider community, especially those who are in poverty.
Support low-income families into decent housing through education and access to credit.
Increase the number of homes by building and restoring using environmentally friendly, affordable materials.
Turn around an area which has suffered from natural disasters and civil war.

Specific objectives include:

Involve families in improving their homes and communities.
Train builders to construct safe, secure housing.
Offer loans with lower interest than market rates to create a sustainable mortgage system.
Provide financial education and planning as a condition of obtaining credit.
Produce environmentally-sustainable, affordable and practical building materials.
Encourage gender equality through supporting empowerment of women in a remote area with few alternative opportunities.

Long term aims include:

To extend the cooperative’s membership and services across El Salvador. Still women-led and focused on transparency and democracy and keeping the headquarters in Tejutepeque.
To become a leading organisation in construction and finance in El Salvador.

Context

In 1998, after the peace agreements that ended the 12-year civil war in El Salvador, 110 women in the rural town of Tejutepeque decided to start a savings and loans cooperative. ACAMS (The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative) was set up with little external support, to recognise and respond to the needs of local women. Cooperatives run by women for women are rare in Latin America – although inclusive in principal of gender equality, they tend to be dominated by men in practice.

In 2001, when they were halfway through the process of formally becoming a cooperative, El Salvador was hit by two strong earthquakes. A large number of the (roughly) 1,700 homes in Tejutepeque were destroyed or damaged. Without a sufficiently coherent housing policy from the national government, many families had to adopt short-term measures for shelter. These were temporary structures using unsuitable materials, often built by people with little training. Much of the population still lives in homes that are inadequate for their needs. More than half are in poor condition, or too small for the size of the families who live in them.

The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative led the relief efforts after the earthquakes and saw the need to do something about the condition of homes in the area.

To try to improve the situation for their community, ACAMS (the women’s cooperative) support the construction and renovation of safer, more secure housing, and involve the residents themselves in building their own homes. Some households are exempt from construction if they lack the capacity to carry this out – for example, in the case of elderly people without family, or widows with young children. In this case, either the project or the municipality cover the labour needs. They set up a local factory to produce construction materials with the help of Solidar Suiza (a Swiss non-governmental organisation) and the EcoSur network. Their work has developed more widely to support the recovery of their neighbourhoods and communities.

Key Features

ACAMS has achieved impressive growth. Started by a group of 110 women it has now attracted 711 members, 10% of the female population of Tejutepeque and its neighbouring towns of Jutiapa and Cinquera.

The Women’s Solidarity Cooperative focuses on savings, educating families in personal finance, providing people with mortgages for housing, and loans which are used for businesses, livestock, agriculture and agroforestry. ACAMS is run by women, who are often excluded from positions of power and decision-making in El Salvador. The all-female board of directors plans and manages projects with support from EcoSur on specific aspects of construction. The board of directors discusses and identifies activities which will benefit their communities, and ensures the views of both women and men are taken into account. This process has led to new projects like the construction and management of a nursing home, community centre and training centre.

Housing is constructed by young people who have taken part in a formal training scheme. This programme includes practical training, lasts 18 months, and closes with examinations and receiving a diploma. The youths are trained in groups of ten (so far only men have participated). Most of them come from families that have benefitted from the housing programme.

These young apprentices are in charge of carrying out the skilled tasks in housing construction, under the supervision of an instructor. The individual cooperative members benefiting from the housing programme will join in the construction process through sweat equity. They do this with the support of at least one helper to support them in the process (family member or paid labourer).

EcoSur provides advice and support through knowledge exchange with its partner Sofonias Nicaragua. In particular they help to monitor the construction projects and provide technical assistance from architects and engineers.

What impact has it had?

The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative (ACAMS) has helped to educate and inspire women across the area to take decisions, support their families and make a difference in their communities.

Since 2006, ACAMS members have built 214 homes and provided more than 630 families with access to credit to carry out repairs. A further 60 homes are currently under construction, and it is hoped more funding will be secured in 2019. New families have started to come to ACAMS with their own finances, to ask for support with the design and construction of their homes.

ACAMS plays an important role in developing communities as well as improving housing. There are several active groups that support the wider community in areas like learning in the community, gender equality, household finances and health. The community in Tejutepeque recognised the need to provide better support for elderly people, which had for example had been asking for a nursing home for several years. This was finally built with the support of local government. The participation of women has helped recognise and tackle issues that affect women in particular, such as ensuring privacy in bathrooms.

By providing credit and encouraging saving, the cooperative reaches the poorest families using subsidies from foreign aid. One-to-one support is given to families to help them avoid entering into unmanageable debt agreements with other credit suppliers. They are also supported to understand the risks of borrowing and how to budget based on their income and expenditure, taking a proactive, preventative approach to managing debt.

How is it funded?

The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative (ACAMS) provides savings and credit services and its lending activities are supervised by the state. The ACAMS mortgage fund is financed through the interest it charges on its loans. The cooperative’s other activities (training and community support) are funded separately. DESWOS funding contributes around 15% (around €23,000 (US$25,991) a year to core costs, including staff.

A factory which produces environmentally-sustainable building materials and a water treatment facility set up to serve the community also generate an income. These two enterprises have helped to fund community projects like the community centre, nursing home and training school. The income also helps ACAMS’s wider activities, like promoting environmentally-sustainable activities.

Solidar Suiza:
- Initial US$2,400 to legally register as a cooperative.
- US$20,000 for the production of materials.
DESWOS (Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen, German Development Aid for Social Housing and Housing):
- €1.5 million euros (US$1,675,125) for the construction of 186 homes (since 2007).
- €100,000 (US$111,675) for the construction of the community centre and nursing home.
Stadt Zürich: €100,000 (US$111,675) for the renovation of 80 homes.
DESWOS and local government: €60,000 (US$67,005) for the construction of the training school.

The cost of ACAMS housing to families is approximately US$150 per square metre, compared to around US$200-250 at market rate. (This refers to the construction costs: materials, transport and labour).

Why is it innovative?

There are very few women’s co-operatives in Latin America, particularly in remote areas. Despite this, The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative set up with little external support. They saw cooperatives as a male dominated field and encouraged other women to get involved. Their approach to restoring and strengthening their communities is based on democracy and transparency. This is particularly important in rebuilding trust in communities which were divided and traumatised by a 12-year civil war. The participatory nature of the cooperative, particularly amongst women, is innovative in a society which has little background in seeking inclusive solutions.

ACAMS researched environmentally-sustainable construction and set up a way of producing materials locally for themselves. Two of the building materials they produce (roof tiles and flooring panels) were introduced to El Salvador through their relationship with the EcoSur network.

Their savings and credit scheme has become a strong focal point of the community. It guarantees ongoing communication between members and the management team. Daily contact occurs when women deposit their savings or apply for credit. Social and educational programmes provide advice and training on personal finances and household finances.

What is the environmental impact?

The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative (ACAMS) has a small factory which produces micro-concrete tiles[1] (for roofs), ferrocement panels[2] (for flooring), and concrete blocks. The tiles and panels are durable and have substantially lower embodied energy[3] than more commonly used materials. These two materials were introduced to El Salvador through the relationship of ACAMS with the EcoSur network. As they are made locally this makes the building process less harmful for the environment. Building locally means the price is lower. The products are sold to the general public.

The EcoSur network and the University of Zürich carried out a study of the ACAMS approach to producing construction materials. The study showed that their approach reduces the consumption of cement, steel and sand compared to traditional techniques.

In the countryside, adobe walls of earth and organic materials are built where the land is suitable and materials are available. All of the construction work undertaken by the community meets national government building standards, which offer good resilience to earthquakes. After homes were damaged by the earthquakes in 2001, much of the work to rebuild them was poorly carried out, affecting the trust of communities in construction methods. The work that the cooperative has done has helped to restore confidence.

The Women’s Solidarity Cooperative works with local government to raise awareness of how everyone can protect the environment. Changes to local regulations have helped lead to changes in behaviour, such as separating rubbish for recycling and not burning waste. This relationship has also led to several tree planting days and has improved the protection of replanted areas.

[1] These tiles are made out of cement and sand with low-tech equipment. They are 10 mm thick, and are placed on top of a wooden or metal-based roof structure. These tiles are very resilient to earthquakes and hurricaines (http://www.ecosur.org/index.php/ecomateriales/teja-de-microconcreto)

[2] Ferrocement or ferro-cement is reinforced mortar or plaster (lime or cement, sand and water) applied over a layer of metal mesh, woven expanded-metal or metal-fibres and closely spaced thin steel rods. It is used to construct relatively thin, hard, strong surfaces (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrocement)

[3] Embodied energy is the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources to manufacturing, transport and product delivery

Is it financially sustainable?

The savings and credit activities of the cooperative are financially stable as they use the interest received on mortgage payments. This is the most important activity for ACAMS, which plans to continue offering loans and advice on repairing and restoring homes to support itself in the future. Several commercial activities run by the cooperative contribute to its income, including a water treatment plant and the ACAMS factory which produces and sells building materials. These facilities employ six people.

The construction of new homes is funded entirely by DESWOS (Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen, German Development Aid for Social Housing and Housing). They are currently (in 2017) providing funding for 60 new homes in Barrio Santa Rita, and work is underway to attract funding for a similar project in Cinquera in 2019.

The training programme in house building is dependent on external finance. Due to its success so far, it has secured further funding from DESWOS. The mortgage fund is financed by repayments from the families, which amount to approximately US$50,000 per year. This allows ACAMS to fund around 15 mortgages per year independently and additional external funding has allowed more people to rebuild their homes.

The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative promotes savings and supports residents to be financially responsible. Families are expected to agree a budget before they can qualify for a housing loan. Loans are partially subsidised (generally around 50%) to make them affordable, and the organisation reports very few problems with recovering loan repayments.

Training courses to support women in business and personal development are funded by ACAMS through their own income generating activities and with continued help from Solidar Suiza.

What is the social impact?

The cooperative has a strong commitment to the community and actively promotes inclusion. The committee of members includes people from all sectors of society, including the leaders of both political parties and several churches. This also led to a committee being set up to represent older people. This collaboration was an important aspect in the development of the nursing home and in ensuring it would be maintained.

ACAMS prioritise education as a means of improving lives and empowering women to be in charge of their own situation. They are expected to make financial decisions and to lead family discussions about getting involved in construction. Many of the cooperative’s loans support women to set up small businesses, so training provided on topics like economics and managing micro-enterprises complements this. The cooperative also holds classes in herbal medicine, food and nutrition, reproductive and sexual health, and health and hygiene. Through these activities cooperative members have noted a change in the confidence, pride and capacity of communities.

ACAMS provide training for young people as part of their work to rebuild and restore homes. Each training course provides eight weeks of theoretical classes (taught by an EcoSur instructor), and work experience for 18 months under the supervision of a master builder. The courses accommodate ten young people at a time. ACAMS training courses are promoted and supported by the Ministry of Education in El Salvador which built a training centre and provides materials for students.

Improving sanitation is important to the project, requiring bathrooms to be included in the design of homes. This guarantees hygiene and privacy, taking into account the differing needs of men and women. One community developed a facility which combines a toilet, shower and laundry using rainwater from the roof. This idea has been transferred to other communities working with the cooperative.

Barriers

The location of the project was an area of conflict during the civil war. In the aftermath people became accustomed to charitable donations and aid programmes. This mind-set needed to change to a culture of families improving their own living conditions through savings and credit schemes.

In a traditionally male-dominated society, women were not typically involved in decision making. The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative provided inclusive education to promote equality and encourage women to take ownership of this community-based programme.

ACAMS has found that it doesn’t have enough funding to respond to the level of demand for credit. However, the cooperative embraces the ‘small is beautiful’ approach, aiming to support 30 to 40 families each year, and works to remain financially sustainable.

Lessons Learned

It is easier to solve the problems which arise when the community works together.
Creating more jobs creates opportunities for families to increase income and improve access to credit.
The training centre provides training in theory and practice. This combination of approaches has worked very well in supporting the development of skills in the community.
Women were empowered to become independent and make their own financial decisions through actively participating in income-generating activities.
Housing is just one aspect of improving ‘habitat’ and education is vital to raise awareness.
Training staff is important in making a strong and effective organisation.
Each family requires individual attention depending on their needs and the problems they face.

Evaluation

An independent auditor evaluates the project twice a year to monitor the distribution of funds. Annual visits from donors and the EcoSur network includes regular monitoring by specialists.

The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative has carried out impact assessments of the cooperative and has published a study on the ‘Municipal Policy for Gender Equity’.

An in-depth evaluation is due to be conducted in 2018. This will consider the impact of the project on three levels: personal, community and national. Cooperative members will take part and an external expert will analyse and publish the results. This evaluation will be used as a learning tool for the ACAMS management team and members of the cooperative.

Recognition

There have been several visits from other EcoSur network members from Ecuador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Honduras and Germany. ACAMS have also hosted visits from European Union representatives, UN-Habitat and several donors.

The project has been featured in EcoSur’s e-magazine and DESWOS publications.

Transfer

Six different groups of women started to develop micro-concrete tiles with support from The Women’s Solidarity Savings and Loans Cooperative and EcoSur. Two of the groups have managed to establish themselves in the market. This is still a real achievement in transfer as the market for building materials is highly competitive and male-dominated.

ACAMS has provided services and support to cooperatives from other areas, including ACOTEJERA in Sonsonate; ACOVENCE in Usulután, and ACEDE in San Vicente.

The Women’s Solidarity Cooperative has presented at international events across Central America, Cuba and Ecuador. Groups of women from Cuba and Nicaragua have visited to investigate the possibility of setting up housing co-operatives based on the savings and credit scheme. The cooperative members believe the different elements of their approach can be easily transferred but the biggest challenge is having the right conditions to bring the community together.

In 2008, ACAMS organised a conference on environmentally-friendly building materials for planners from across Central America. They also regularly participate in meetings at a national level.

The cooperative organised a discussion on the theme ‘WASH’ (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene), specifically to hear the perspectives of women. An outcome from this was the development of a community facility comprising a toilet, shower and laundry. This went on to be promoted more widely by EcoSur and has been replicated in Haiti, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Cuba.

Authors:

World Habitat

Bringing light and air to homes in informal settlements

0

Bringing light and air to homes in informal settlements

Mismatches Security Functional adequacy Vulnerable groups

Policies and regulations Local policies Regulation Governance

Urban Design Quality Liveability Inclusion Equity

Promotion and production Transformation and adaptation Favelas/Slums

Main objectives of the project

Date

2017:

Stakeholders

Location

Continent: Asia
City: Ahmedabad
Country/Region: Ahmedabad, India

Description

For many poorer women living in informal settlements in India, the home is not just a place to live but also a place of work. Homes in Indian informal settlements are deep, long and arranged in rows backing onto each other. This means that there is no natural light or ventilation from three sides. Even in the middle of the day the rear part of the house remains dark and gets very hot. Most people solve this problem with electric lights and fans. However the electricity is expensive and electrical appliances generate their own heat. This problem is recognised by the Mahila Housing Trust, a non-governmental organisation which is part of the Self Employed Women’s Association; a movement which itself emerged out of the Textile Labour Association, a trade union established by Mahatma Ghandi in 1918.

The Mahila Housing Trust work to mobilise its members. The Trust supports communities to organise, working at grass-roots level and supporting dialogue to influence government policies. Their goal is to make homes and the wider living environment more suitable for women to live and work in. This includes projects to upgrade water and sanitation, build roads, develop low-income housing and improve security of land tenure. The organisation works in rural and urban areas across India, Nepal and Bangladesh focussing particularly on areas where there is little other support from government or NGOs.

“Ujasiyu”, an innovation developed by the Mahila Housing Trust to improve working conditions for self-employed women in India, is a simple dormer window that can be fitted to the roof allowing natural light and ventilation into homes in informal settlements. The window is made of fibreglass and is moulded to fit onto the shape of corrugated steel, which almost all roofs are made out of. The window itself is made of translucent plastic. This prevents glare and diffuses the light so that it illuminates the whole room rather than creating a shaft of light. The plastic is moulded into a hump with an opening at the bottom to allow air to circulate. The gap is covered with gauze to prevent insects and other animals from getting in.

Residents buy the dormer window (Ujasiyu) with the help of low cost loans which are offered by both the Mahila Housing Trust and SEWA Bank (cooperative bank that specialises in providing affordable finance to low-income self-employed women). Many families are able to pay back the loans within a year, through their earnings and the energy savings they make by having the window. Interventions were introduced in the state of Gujarat (West India) and are being implemented at various scales across the country in the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Delhi and Rajasthan.

In this project the housing trust partnered with Yatin Pandya, an Indian architect who runs Footprints E.A.R.T.H – an architecture and environment consultancy company. He offered technical support in the project development. The Solar Energy and Light Company (SELCO), an Indian social enterprise working on solar power solutions also offered technical support and sector knowledge.

Ujasiyu focuses on vulnerable households where women both live and work as part of the informal economy. The women who benefit from the improvements carry out unskilled work such as embroidery and rolling bidis (a type of cigarette). Improved lighting and ventilation means that they can comfortably use the home for this work (increasing their productivity) as well as for leisure time. Children can also spend more time in the house doing schoolwork due to the increased light. Better ventilation and less smoke also helps to improve health issues such as breathing problems and asthma. Cost savings are made as less electricity is used due to increased natural light.

The project has a community-led component with households helping to implement the new products and provide feedback for future improvements. Awareness of energy efficiency and the benefits of ventilated homes has increased as beneficiaries share their experiences with the wider community. As part of the wider work of Mahila Housing Trust, Ujasiyu is promoted to residents alongside other solutions which reduce energy use, including energy efficient light fittings and cooking stoves.

So far Mahila Housing Trust and SEWA Bank have helped:

635 households to improve ventilation by installing Ujasiyu dormer windows.
18,050 households to reduce lighting costs by installing energy efficient light fittings.
2,647 households to improve cooking facilities with energy efficient cooking stoves.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of the project is to provide natural daylight and ventilation in dark and dingy houses throughout informal settlements in urban India using community-led design.

Its objectives are to:

Ensure community conversations and voices contribute to the design of adaptations.
Design, manufacture and fit dormer windows (selected by communities as the most effective option) for lighting and ventilation.
Empower households in informal settlements to access loans that they can afford.
Educate residents in informal settlements about energy efficiency and home improvements.

A longer-term aim of the programme is to transfer the project to more communities across India so that more households can benefit from the interventions.

Context

Women make up 28% of the labour force in India[1]. Among working women, an estimated 93% are in informal employment, earning a living through their own labour or small businesses[2]. The nature of their employment makes it difficult for them to access ‘official’ state support, and financial services like credit and pensions. The Self-Employed Women’s Association was formed as a Trade Union, gaining recognition from the government in 1972. Since it began, the association has developed as a movement to improve the lives of its members through joining together to fight for things like workers protection, fair pay, and to develop solutions to improve living standards. The Self-Employed Women’s Association spread into a wide range of sister organisations to achieve its objectives[3]. These include the SEWA Bank, a cooperative bank which uses contributions from its members to offer credit to self-employed women; and the Mahila Housing Trust, founded to improve housing and living conditions for poor women in informal employment. These two organisations are lead partners in Ujasiyu on community involvement.

The need for interventions in informal settlements results from the rapid population growth experienced in cities across India. Most have struggled to keep up with this growth, and much of the population lacks access to basic infrastructure like housing, transportation and services. Nearly half the population in urban India are accommodated in informal settlements. Homes are densely packed, often very small, and built with temporary materials. A lack of natural light and air makes houses dark, dingy and stiflingly hot. This affects residents’ mental and physical health, as well as their ability to carry out day to day tasks in the home. Even in broad daylight many families are forced to use artificial lighting, and poor ventilation means fans are needed leading to high electricity bills. These issues are particularly negative for women who are more likely than men to be in the home during the day. Ujasiyu was developed in an ‘Innovation Centre for the Poor’, an initiative by Mahila Housing Trust and SEWA Bank to find simple interventions to improve the quality of life in the communities where their members live and work.

[1] International Labour Organisation, 2016

[2] Self Employed Women’s Association, http://www.sewa.org/

[3] http://www.sewa.org/Sister_Organization.asp

Key Features

Ujasiyu was developed in an Innovation Centre for the Poor, where prototype adaptations to improve lighting and ventilation were tested and selected by the community.

The dormer window was chosen as the best solution after the testing of five different prototypes which were developed with local knowledge and mounted in initial volunteer’s homes. These prototypes were as follows:

Raising the roof sheet: allowing roofing to be raised to let air into the building.
Sliding Window: Cutting the roof around 60cm and introducing a sliding window for ventilation.
Square Skylight: Introducing a square raised skylight (of 30cm in the roof)
Dormer Window: Adding a Dormer window of around 30cm to 60cm height, by cutting a small part of the roof.
Waste Plastic Bottle Insert: Cutting the roof equal to the diameter of the waste plastic bottle. On inserting the bottle, the sun light illuminates through plastic thereby lighting the interior spaces.

After the success of the Dormer window adaptation based on volunteer feedback this was chosen to be rolled out at scale. In the pilot stage, these were provided free of charge and electricity savings were monitored for three months to understand the savings.

The main motivation behind Ujasiyu is to make homes comfortable spaces where women can carry out informal home-based work more easily. For women in informal settlements this is essential so that they can support their family and gain some financial independence in the home. A more comfortable working environment is not only healthier and more comfortable it also increases productivity. Along with savings in electricity this increases people’s income. It also benefits the family more widely in that children can study in the home improving educational success.

A wider culture of energy savings and home improvement has been developed through the work of the project to engage with the local community in discussions about the possibility of improving homes and participating directly.

The project is a collaboration between:

Mahila Housing Trust – Initial partner in setting up the project (with SEWA Bank). Worked with communities to develop dormer window product. Also provides some small loans.
Footprints E.A.R.T.H – Architect Yatin Pandya provided free technical assistance to the project
SEWA Bank – The bank provided loans to beneficiary households who wanted the installations
The Solar Energy and Light Company (SELCO) – Completed energy surveys to find out energy savings made as a result of the interventions and provided sector knowledge

What impact has it had?

Firstly, the project ensures that families live in healthier homes with access to natural light and air, improving both physical and mental health. In addition to healthier homes it has enabled families to save between 30-50% on their energy bills through having to use lights less often in daytime hours. These cost savings allow families to spend money on other needs such as education, as well as to accumulate savings and pensions. The new healthier homes have allowed many women who work from home to improve the effectiveness of their businesses and increase their income. The adaptations have also created better study environments for children in the home. Ujasiyu also has a positive environmental impact in the use of less energy.

Ujasiyu as a product is still developing and adapting. The dormer window is currently installed in 635 homes and work is underway to address the challenges of differences between building types. The wider work of the Mahila Housing Trust to promote energy saving has enabled over 17,000 households across informal settlements in seven states to benefit from one or more interventions (the total number of installations stands at 21,332). With a range of options and affordable credit, households can choose to install a single intervention even if they cannot afford to have all three (cooking, lighting and ventilation) at the same time. Currently about 20 per cent of families have been able to benefit from more than one installation. The project is working on reducing the costs of Ujasiyu further so that the product can be accessed by an even greater number of households.

Although the project has not directly impacted any policy changes it has changed the attitudes of residents enabling them to take ownership of their right to a comfortable home. It has also increased community awareness and education on energy saving and the use of simple interventions to create healthier homes.

How is it funded?

Initial set up costs were covered by international donor funding. Mahila Housing Trust worked with SEWA Bank to develop relationships with beneficiaries. This included setting up the ‘Innovation Centre for the poor’ where the project was planned and social surveys were carried out to understand people’s needs. Some fundraising was done to increase the funds available for start-up. In addition, initial design and technical support were offered for free by the architect Yatin Pandya through his practice, Footprints E.A.R.T.H. Once a family becomes involved in the project it is up to them to fund the housing improvements. They can do this through taking out loans from the SEWA Bank. The ventilation units cost each family 5,000 Rupees (approximately US$80). Instalments and interest are kept affordable in line with the bank’s cooperative principles.

The fact that improvements ensure 30-50% savings in electricity bills per month means that families can make savings into the cooperative bank and pay off loans quickly, often within a year. The ventilation units are produced locally to minimise costs. They are now sold under a private company called MHT Awaas SEWA Private Limited which was registered by the Mahila Housing Trust in 2013.

Why is it innovative?

The project is innovative in three ways: the product itself, the way in which it was developed and the focus on women.

The dormer window is the key innovation of this project. Although there are other projects (notably the 2015 World Habitat Award winner – Liter of Light) that solve the problem of poorly lit houses in informal settlements, the dormer window in this project is specifically designed for the needs of homes in India and provides ventilation as well as light.

The project’s home improvements were developed through a community-led ‘innovation centre’. The project did not begin until conversations with residents were undertaken so that their needs could be fully understood. Other approaches may focus on moving people from inadequate housing in informal settlements, instead of trying to ensure houses are more liveable in their community. The Ujasiyu product allows people to remain in their community, making it a more sensitive design innovation.

The focus on women in informal settlements is another innovative factor. Providing improvements to homes, the main workplace for many women, empowers them to earn increased incomes. Because conditions in their homes are improved and comfort is increased throughout the day and night, women are also given more control over the type and amount of work they do. The focus on women in informal employment, within informal settlements is also innovative. The collaboration with SEWA Bank means that the families can access affordable credit and not become burdened with debts from unregulated moneylenders, or be left out of the lending system all together because of lack of collateral.

What is the environmental impact?

The project works to improve current homes rather than building new ones, which saves energy and material use through the construction of new buildings.

The project reduces the amount of energy used in homes and therefore their environmental impact. Specific adaptations had specific environmental impacts. Residents who have had the dormer window installed have reported energy savings of up to 50%.

The use of locally available materials for adaptations also reduces the carbon footprint of the project.

Is it financially sustainable?

Initially adaptations (improvements to cooking, lighting and ventilation) were subsidised through grants. Once the effectiveness of the interventions was more widely known and understood, the project developed into a social enterprise. Families who want to install one or more adaptations are expected to raise their own funding. Soft loans are provided to interested households by the SEWA Bank. Costs are payable in instalments and are repaid within a year. The savings made on energy bills generate enough savings to cover the repayments. After repayment, the benefits to households will continue for the long term, enabling them to improve their income and standard of living.

Despite the potential savings, the cost of loan instalments has limited some of the poorest families from being able to access Ujasiyu products. Work is underway to lower costs so that the approach can be offered to a wider range of households.

What is the social impact?

The work of Mahila Housing Trust empowers women to be able to fulfil their right to a comfortable and healthy home. Their involvement in the project’s development and the ongoing discussions which occur once the improvements are in place mean women are partners not just voiceless beneficiaries.

The Ujasiyu dormer window improves the air quality in the homes which are cooler and no longer smoke filled (smoke can leave through the ventilation dormer) and are naturally lit. This reduces negative health impacts such as breathing problems, and improves mental health as people live in less dingy spaces. Entire families are able to spend more time inside on both work and leisure.

For women who work in the home, better light, ventilation and reduced smoke from cooking stoves has improved productivity and increased income. Families who have benefitted from Ujasiyu have more disposable income to save, and pay for things like children’s education.

Barriers

The main challenge so far has been that differences in local construction and local bylaws meant each city and state needed different size sheets to go with the dormer window installation. For example, in the city of Surat in Gujarat, homes needed much larger sheets. These needed to be developed cost effectively to maintain the affordability for the families in need. In some homes, a waste bottle roofing solution was implemented where a plastic bottle was fitted into the roof which the sun would shine onto and illuminate the inside rooms. This was less effective than the dormer window but was used where it was not possible to install dormers.

In some states, production and application has slowed down due to increasing manufacturing costs. This should be overcome if the project develops its own manufacturing centre.

A further challenge has been promoting the improvements and convincing residents that they work, so they are happy to take out the loans to pay for the solutions. Residents were also not used to their opinions being sought in projects like this. The project is currently being promoted by word of mouth and through communication between the project implementers and the local population.

Lessons Learned

As the project was implemented in states which differ in their physical context, ventilation adaptations had to be redesigned to suit the local context. Finding local manufacturers who could produce products in a cost-effective manner is an issue in some locations. To overcome this, the project aims to set up local manufacturing centres. This new expansion is still at initial planning stage. The Ujasiyu project also hopes to diversify the products they offer to provide a wider range of practical solutions to improve ventilation and natural lighting.

Evaluation

The project has not been formally evaluated yet anecdotally the product has been seen as a positive innovation amongst beneficiaries.

Recognition

The project has hosted various international visitors including representatives from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Misereor Foundation, Care Foundation (Dhaka), Millennium Alliance along with FICCI, Womanity Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Transfer

The Mahila Housing Trust’s work to improve working conditions in the home through reduced energy costs has scaled up from impacting 140 houses at the pilot stage to now 21,332 lighting, cooking, and ventilation installations in 7 states of India: Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Work on transferring and scaling up the Ujasiyu dormer window product is continuing, and has also inspired further work led by the Mahila Housing Trust to produce modular roofing made out of paper waste and coconut husk for informal settlements. In 2016 this innovation won the ‘Urban Labs Innovation Challenge: Delhi’ an award organised by the University of Chicago and the Delhi Government in response to its success in bringing down indoor temperatures improving living conditions. The project has so far been implemented at a pilot stage in three informal settlements in Delhi around new sustainable innovations such as solar powered lights and solar eco-cooler.

Authors:

World Habitat

Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households

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Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households

Mismatches Vulnerable groups New family structures

Policies and regulations Governance

Financing

Urban Design Liveability Inclusion Equity Participatory processes

Promotion and production Technology

Main objectives of the project

Homeowners living in formerly state-owned buildings are supported to work together to improve their homes through the REELIH project.

Many multi-apartment blocks in former Eastern Bloc countries Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia fell into widespread disrepair following mass privatisation in the early 1990s. By creating homeowner associations, residents are able to borrow collectively to carry out energy efficiency improvements to their homes. This makes heating homes more affordable, improving the health and well-being of residents.

After proving successful in Macedonia, the approach was transferred to Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since all three countries face similar challenges, they all began with the principle of collective action and then went on to adapt to meet their different needs.

The project has developed connections between individuals, homeowner associations, local governments and banks. The work has helped spread awareness about energy efficiency and increased the funding available to residents to improve their buildings.

Date

2017:

Stakeholders

Promotor: World Habitat

Location

Continent: Asia
Country/Region: Armenia, Yerevan

Description

Project Description

The Residential Energy in Low Income Households (REELIH) project is about the transfer of a successful approach to improving lives through improving buildings, which Habitat for Humanity began in 2009 in Macedonia. The project objective is to tackle poverty and improve the health and quality of life of low income homeowners. It is an approach which responds to a problem common across countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Before mass-privatisation occurred across the region in the 1990s, huge state-driven building programmes had provided the majority of the housing stock as multi-apartment blocks. Once ownership of these blocks was transferred to residents, the common areas of many buildings (roofs, stairs, facades) fell into disrepair as communal maintenance arrangements were not set up or not maintained by residents. As a result, thousands of buildings are at varying degrees of disrepair, with very poor insulation and sometimes dangerous structural flaws.

This project helps residents to improve their buildings by encouraging and enabling them to work together to arrange and finance energy efficiency works. The original approach was developed and trialled by Habitat for Humanity Macedonia. This provided the starting point for the REELIH project, a transfer which has been co-ordinated by the regional office of Habitat for Humanity (covering Europe, Middle East and Africa). Local partners in Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have led and implemented the project on the ground, adapting specific elements to fit within the different administrative, financial, political and economic contexts of those countries.

The project, which receives funding from the United States Agency for International Development, supports individual homeowners living in multi-apartment blocks to mobilise and act as Homeowner Associations to collectively manage their buildings. These resident-led groups are able to get access to technical expertise through the project so they can make their buildings more energy efficient. As a result, residents spend less on energy and also benefit from improved air quality, which has a positive impact on people’s health.

A significant feature of the project is the work that Habitat for Humanity carries out in each country to develop financial models so the improvements can be funded. One of the ways that this is achieved is through mediation carried out between residents, the public sector and the private sector. This has really helped increase the funding available for this type of work and has made it much easier for people from different backgrounds and organisations to work together to achieve improvements for residents and the wider community.

The Residential Energy in Low Income Households (REELIH) project is co-ordinated by the Europe, Middle East and Africa branch of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity International is a non-governmental organisation working in 70 countries around the world. The organisation’s work is focused on ensuring that everyone has a decent place to live and on finding solutions to housing issues. This project is delivered by in-country partners: Habitat for Humanity Macedonia, Habitat for Humanity Armenia, and Enova in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of the REELIH project is to tackle poverty and improve the health and quality of life of low income homeowners living in multi-apartment buildings. The project – currently delivered in Macedonia, Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina but of relevance to many countries across Eurasia[1] – works by:

Raising awareness about energy efficiency as a way of tackling poverty and reducing carbon emissions.
Providing technical expertise to residents living in multi-apartment buildings to help them form Homeowner Associations.
Helping residents to plan and organise energy efficiency work to be carried out on their buildings.
Helping to develop trust between residents, lenders and local governments.
Developing and testing replicable models of collective borrowing which help residents access funding.
Improving the health of residents through improved heating and air quality in their homes.

Through the Residential Energy Efficiency project, Habitat for Humanity demonstrates the case for public and private investment in residential energy.

The work is helping:

to establish and develop an investment market for retrofitting;
to secure the financial and political support of governments;
to place an increased focus on improving existing buildings.

[1] Eurasia is a combined continental landmass of Europe and Asia. The REELIH project is applicable in particular in countries that were formerly part of the Eastern Bloc, where there has been very high subsidy and nationalisation followed by economic decline and rapid privatisation.

Context

In many countries across Eurasia, there are large numbers of blocks of flats which were built using prefabricated units. Built between 1951-1991, this type of housing was originally state-owned and managed with high levels of subsidy. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia, mass privatisation led to high levels of private homeownership. However, many of these buildings have fallen into disrepair and are now inefficient and expensive to heat. As countries in the region are mainly located in climate zones with cold winters, poorly heated homes affect the health and well-being of the residents, particularly those on low incomes, who also struggle with high energy costs. Heating poorly insulated buildings wastes large amounts of energy. Poorly maintained residential buildings also generate higher carbon emissions and contribute towards pollution and climate change. In this region residential buildings are the largest single consumers of energy and a major source of greenhouse gasses, especially carbon dioxide. However, the market for energy efficiency in the countries where the Residential Energy Efficiency project is working is not well developed. Also because households have been used to receive high levels of state subsidy to pay energy bills in the past, saving energy to save money is a new concept for many people.

Key Features

The REELIH project acts as a facilitator and mediator between homeowners and the public and private sector so that retrofit projects can be planned, funded and delivered. This mediator role has supported the formation of new Homeowner Associations, which are organisations formed of and run by residents. Through this programme these associations have become credible recipients of both bank loans and local government subsidies, enabling them to improve their homes and buildings. This is a significant development as previously residents were not able to get access to loans to improve their blocks of flats.

Capacity building is a key feature of this project and is implemented by in-country partners: Habitat for Humanity Macedonia, Habitat for Humanity Armenia, and Enova in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Training and awareness-raising helps ensure residents know about energy efficiency and their right to adequate housing. These in-country partners support Homeowner Associations to form, to plan which home improvements they will carry out and to decide if they will manage the work themselves or through contractors.

The work of the in-country partners also extends to working with banks and local authorities. The development of a market for residential energy efficiency retrofits is a great success of the project. It has created an opportunity for low income households to access funding and has helped to attract subsidy from local government in the form of match funding for loans. With the support of the REELIH project residents in Homeowner Associations have demonstrated their ability to manage projects and loan repayments, allowing them to make real improvements to their lives. The loan repayment rate of residents working with the project is 100%, which is a significant achievement.

In addition to providing technical assistance, Habitat for Humanity funds energy audits. These audits help the organisers to decide which buildings should be targeted and also help Homeowner Associations to make informed decisions about the work they will have done.

Habitat for Humanity currently shares knowledge about residential energy efficiency via three websites, one in English, one in Armenian and one in Bosnian. These explain how the project works and take people through a step by step guide on how to make improvements in their homes and in common spaces and structures (roof, facades, stairwells) in multi-apartment buildings.

What impact has it had?

In the context of former Eastern Bloc countries, the development of a market for resident-led energy-efficiency works is ground-breaking. The history of state-control over maintenance of the housing stock, combined with a heavily subsidised energy supply means there has been very little awareness of or interest in issues like energy efficiency among residents. As a result of the work of Habitat for Humanity on residential energy efficiency, more than 3,800 individuals now live in more comfortable and efficient housing across the three countries. Retrofitting has cut energy bills for low income homeowners by up to 50%, helping to reduce poverty and tackling rising energy costs. The project supports the rights of citizens to a good home, helping residents to access the means to improve their own housing.

By 2017, the project had achieved the following:

In Macedonia, 35 buildings (671 households, around 2,215 residents) have had energy efficiency works,
In Armenia, 18 buildings (519 housing units, 1,500 residents) have had work completed and the work of Habitat for Humanity has led to a commitment from the Yerevan Municipality to co-finance retrofits on 900 further units.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, four buildings (49 housing units, 133 residents) have been retrofitted. This has attracted the attention of local governments in the Tuzla Canton who have now developed an action plan to retrofit 973 further homes. The plan will provide subsidies to match loans and other funds raised by Homeowner Associations.

The continued success of the work in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Armenia is now inspiring further work in Macedonia. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a second phase of the project, which began in 2017 and will run until 2019.

The project has led several local governments to provide subsidies for energy efficiency interventions. In Armenia the Municipality of Yerevan has provided 40% subsidy for all energy efficiency interventions through the REELIH project. Habitat for Humanity Armenia is also working collaboratively to reform the national Armenian Housing Law, to create a better investment environment for Homeowner Associations. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the implementation of residential energy efficiency work by Habitat for Humanity, the Tuzla Canton local government has produced a five-year plan focusing on energy use in residential buildings. It is the first of its kind in Bosnia and will support large scale investments in residential energy efficiency across the area. It is expected this approach will spread to other areas. In addition, Habitat for Humanity is currently working on influencing the reforming of Homeowners Association laws in all three countries.

How is it funded?

The project costs are funded jointly by Habitat for Humanity International and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Residential energy efficiency is a key part of the Habitat for Humanity International strategy for Europe and Central Asia until at least 2020 and currently US$100,000 per year is allocated to this work from the organisation’s core funding.

First half of 2012, Habitat for Humanity invested US$35,000 from its own undesignated funding sources for the initial development of a regional initiative building on the experiences from Macedonia
Preparatory work exploring the transfer from Macedonia, identifying Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as suitable countries, and reaching out to diverse partners and stakeholders, in addition to technical assistance and mediation with Homeowner Associations, financial institutions, local government:

- US$2,000,000 (USAID, maximum committed funding for 2012-2019).
- US$590,000 (Habitat for Humanity International, committed funding for 2012-2019).
Additional project funding leveraged in subsidy or investment to date from private institutions and governments:

- US$100,000

The costs of the energy efficiency works are covered through different routes depending on each country. Energy efficiency markets are still being developed by Habitat for Humanity and their in-country partners. In Armenia, where Habitat for Humanity has successfully set up loans for Homeowner Associations these are combined with subsidy from the local government if available.

Macedonia:

Revolving loan fund set up by Habitat for Humanity Macedonia to help finance energy efficiency works: US$912,705. This fund aims to demonstrate that Homeowner Associations reliable clients, as currently commercial banks do not lend to these actors
Additional funding for energy efficiency leveraged by local governments: US$857,360

Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Energy efficiency works are covered by a combination of financial subsidy and residents’ personal savings.

Subsidy for retrofitting works: US$125,000 budget allocated (in 2017) by the canton of Tuzla, along with match funding by five different local governments which should collectively amount to US$300,000 (final amount of match funding still to be confirmed).

Armenia:

The Municipality of Yerevan has committed to fund 40% of the building retrofit costs per each building, and up to 900 buildings following the first retrofit pilot.
Ineco Bank and AGBA Credit Agricole Bank are working with Habitat for Humanity to develop loan products for Homeowner Associations.
Loans are insured by guarantees based on an assessment of the Homeowner Association’s cash flow (typically the history of collection rates of building management fees over the past two years).
The cost of retrofitting works is split with 60% covered by loans and 40% covered by subsidy. The interest rate for the loans is 17% (the average rate for retail loans), with repayment in three to five years.

Why is it innovative?

Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households targets low income households affected by high energy costs, informing them about energy efficiency and providing technical support to help them manage the retrofitting of their homes. The skills people have gained through the project help them get involved in raising awareness, sharing their knowledge and concerns about energy costs as a cause of poverty and helping municipalities to further understand their residents’ needs.

By mediating between Homeowner Associations, municipalities and banks, the approach of Habitat for Humanity has improved the financial credibility and borrowing power of low income households. This is a particular accomplishment, as banks in Armenia (as in most of Eastern Europe) were previously unwilling to issue loans to Homeowner Associations. Through technical assistance and effective collaboration, the REELIH project has helped to establish new financial mechanisms, which facilitate the distribution of public funds and loans from banks directly to the Homeowner Associations. This provides an alternative to the need for each individual household in a multi-apartment building to raise their own finances. It allows a whole-building approach to energy efficiency which can be managed collectively by the residents. As the loan is also managed by a single entity (the Homeowners Association), the whole process of making improvements to buildings has also become more efficient.

What is the environmental impact?

Approximately 80% to 90% of energy is used during the lifetime use of a building with the remaining 10% to 20% used during construction and demolition (this also accounts for embodied energy). Retrofitting has a positive environmental impact by making buildings more energy efficient, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the use of fossil fuels. As the number of retrofitted buildings increases, so does the positive environmental impact of the Residential Energy Efficiency project.

Retrofitting homes improves air quality and helps reduce moisture and noise, provides greater comfort and reduces the required frequency of maintenance and repair work. The retrofitting works carried out through this project can reduce the total energy consumption of these homes by up to 50%.

Specific features delivered through the programme include:

Thermo-insulation of the façade of the buildings.
Repair, replacement and/or new flooring and roofing with materials with thermal features.
Replacement of windows and entrance doors.

The approach of REELIH ensures materials used for retrofits provide optimal energy saving results. Different vendors are used in each building and materials are selected based on energy audits. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, most materials are produced or available locally. Some materials are imported in Armenia. Energy efficiency interventions are sometimes implemented hand-in-hand with other work on strengthening the structural stability of the buildings, improving them for future generations.

Is it financially sustainable?

Habitat for Humanity International has placed energy efficiency within its key strategy and funding streams until 2020. As of 2017, the project has funding from USAID for at least two more years. Advocacy carried out by the project has secured commitment from a number of local governments to place energy efficiency in their budgets. This achievement has been key to the financial sustainability of this work.

The relationship building with banks is also a very important aspect. Two additional banks in Bosnia and Herzegovina have started financing window replacement and other retrofit measures, and are now interested in developing affordable residential energy efficiency products for families and Homeowner Associations. In particular, banks would like to see a Guarantee Fund to reduce the risks of loans to Homeowners Associations. This option is being explored by Habitat for Humanity, in order to expand the number of banks that would be willing to provide loans for residential energy efficiency for multi-apartment buildings.

Over time Habitat for Humanity International believe it might be possible to set up revolving loan funds so Homeowner Associations can pay for energy efficiency works without any subsidy. At the moment the market is not developed enough in any of the countries where the project is being implemented for this to happen.

What is the social impact?

Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households provides practical solutions to a housing problem that negatively affects standards of living, household budgets and quality of life. The project prioritises community-building and working in partnership across different organisations and sectors, focusing on solving energy poverty for low-income families and has a real impact on residents’ lives and their homes.

Multi-sector partnership and knowledge sharing is not only carried out on the ground but also through online knowledge sharing platforms. Presently there are two national knowledge sharing website for the work in Armenia (http://taqtun.am) and in Bosnia and Herzegovina (http://topaodom.ba), and a regional website for the project at a wider level (https://getwarmhomes.org). The national platforms allow residents and stakeholders not directly involved in the project to learn about and develop their own energy efficiency improvements, and the regional one acts as an international platform to share knowledge on residential energy efficiency.

Through the REELIH project, Habitat for Humanity works with residents to set up Homeowner Associations and strengthens their ability to negotiate for improvements with municipalities and banks. Homeowner Associations and their residents are given training on energy efficiency where they can share ideas on how they can save energy and money together. The technical assistance and expertise provided empowers residents to work collaboratively and go through the process of renovation themselves. Technical support is provided for decision-making, contracting construction companies, gaining subsidies from governments and funds from other financial institutions. The training, combined with mediation, ensures Homeowner Associations are seen as credible organisations. The project also develops community relationships by supporting residents to work together.

The physical retrofits themselves lead to better health and well-being as homes are more comfortable to live in and issues of cold, dampness and air pollution are improved. Residents are able to make better use of all the space in their homes (before many would only use one room with wood or coal fires for heat). Building improvements have also led to improved community interaction by making the shared spaces (such as stairways and hallways) more useable. The infrastructure of the building (e.g. pipes, elevators, etc.) also benefitted from energy efficiency as they are now less exposed to cold and dampness and therefore need less frequent maintenance. The increased awareness and appreciation of energy efficiency has led some residents to make further improvements to their own homes, for example by fitting double glazing or investing in energy efficient appliances.

Overall the approach has tackled poverty by reducing the living costs of low income residents through energy savings.

Barriers

The Residential Energy Efficiency project works in a region where energy efficient retrofits have not been well researched and are not widely understood. The project has had to work hard to prove its worth and raise awareness about the subject.

There is little clarity about homeowners’ rights and responsibilities relating to the management and maintenance of common spaces. This means there is little trust between homeowners and other partners when it comes to organising works on buildings and cost sharing. In Armenia, Habitat for Humanity has tried to overcome this by working with others on reforming the national Armenian Housing Law to improve clarity and create a better environment for cooperation and investment. Government arrangements across the region are incredibly complex, with multiple layers of administration at different levels. This presents an additional challenge with transferring the approach – not just across, but within countries.

Banks in Armenia (and across Central and Eastern Europe) cannot offer loans on buildings but ask individual residents to provide personal guarantees which can be difficult and time-consuming. The project has facilitated new lending mechanisms so loans can be made to Homeowner Associations on behalf of the whole building. This has been achieved through good communications with banks and ongoing technical assistance to residents and Homeowner Associations.

Another challenge relates to the project’s desired focus on low income households. The state programme applies an approach which awards subsidy based mostly on the state of buildings i.e. from the time of construction until today – the building has never been refurbished, it does not have thermal insulation. Surveys are conducted to determine the buildings with the highest needs. Nonetheless, most multi-apartment buildings in the area made up of mixed incomes families. As a result this means some of the households who benefit are in higher income groups. Nonetheless, one of the criteria for the building selection is that the majority of residents/ households in the building are very low income. Therefore, the project ensures that at least the largest part of the people it reaches is indeed part of their target group.

Countries in much of Eurasia are mainly located in climate zones with cold winters, so energy and heating efficiency should be a major concern for governments and residents. However, historically energy costs have been heavily subsidised so awareness about energy saving is low.

In South-East Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (unlike in Central and Eastern Europe), legal barriers exist which create additional difficulties with maintenance and new investments in multi-apartment buildings. This is further aggravated by the fact that homeowners living in multi-apartment buildings in these areas usually have lower incomes. Since the early 2000s improving energy efficiency has become an increasing priority for Central and Eastern European countries but the majority of buildings (50-70%) are still waiting for renovation so large numbers of residents are affected by high energy costs.

Lessons Learned

Habitat for Humanity International has developed several policy recommendations based on the lessons learned from the Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households project:

A system of clearly defined responsibilities is needed in multi-apartment buildings that integrates energy efficiency.
Financing mechanisms need to be available and affordable to residents. Government intervention through targeted subsidy or loan guarantees is necessary.
Assistance to all stakeholders is necessary for successful renovation of the housing stock on a larger scale.
It is vital to interlink housing and social policies to improve energy efficiency in housing.
Providing information for example through presentations, training and awareness campaigns helps more people achieve energy efficiency by promoting informed choices.
It is crucial to establish and create opportunities for knowledge-exchange and experience-sharing.

Evaluation

The REELIH project is evaluated by looking at energy savings made through pre-retrofit and post-retrofit energy audits. These are carried out using an approach Habitat for Humanity developed in 2012. Energy audits are carried out by ENOVA, an environment and energy consultancy and the in-country partner for the project in Bosnia and Herzegovina and by the in-country office of Habitat for Humanity in Armenia.

Habitat for Humanity and partners have also conducted base-line surveys of the housing stock and the financial and living conditions of residents. They have looked at things like participation in Homeowner Associations, comfort levels in the home, and awareness about energy efficiency. These surveys will be repeated in the future to help understand the impact of the project.

Recognition

Residential Energy Efficiency in Low Income Households features as best practice in the ‘Energy Poverty Handbook’ published by the office of Tamás Meszerics (Member of the European Parliament) via The Greens/EFA group of the European Parliament.
The work of Habitat for Humanity on residential energy efficiency has influenced regional initiatives including:

- Build Upon; A collaboration of ‘Green Building Councils’ (not-for-profit organisations set up to improve and protect the environment by improving buildings).
- The EU Observatory on Energy Poverty; A consortium set up in 2016 to address and understand energy poverty across the European Union.
- C4E Forum; The Central and Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency Forum, set up to share and build upon successful energy efficiency work across the region.
A conference on residential energy efficiency in May 2017 attracted a range of interest from across Europe.

Transfer

Habitat for Humanity International started the first REELIH project in Macedonia in 2009. With the continued support of USAID, the approach was successfully transferred and has been adapted in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Armenia. Following pilot projects, a number of regional and local governments are supporting more work on residential energy efficiency. Subsidies are now being provided in five areas in the Tuzla Canton region of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the Municipality of Yerevan in Armenia. These subsidies will match loans raised by Homeowner Associations to help pay for energy efficiency improvements. This was made possible by the work of the REELIH project.

Habitat for Humanity Armenia is also partnering with Spitak and Vayq Municipalities to work with them on energy efficiency in residential and public buildings in their areas. Their success with the REELIH project helped them to attract funding from the European Union to do this.

Visitors from the United Nations, European Union, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) missions and other development agencies have been to Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to learn from the project. In Macedonia, Habitat for Humanity has helped to make energy efficiency a subject for students in technical high schools, providing training sessions and arranging internships.

Energy poverty and poor energy efficiency in residential buildings is a problem in many countries of the former Eastern Bloc. A great number of low income families could benefit from the REELIH approach to accessing finance and subsidy.

The REELIH work was shared in April 2017 at a conference in Brussels aimed at raising awareness and interest among EU-policymakers and developing opportunities for people to work together.

Authors:

World Habitat

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FAVELA-BAIRRO

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Plastic bottle houses for Sahrawi refugees

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Plastic bottle houses transform life for refugees

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The build

Increasing self-sufficiency

The future

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Promoting local building cultures in Haiti

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Rebuilding Haiti

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Rethinking construction

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Pakistan Chulahs: The smokeless stoves empowering women and changing lives

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The Chulah’s future

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Affordable and safe housing for single mothers in Japan

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Housing single mothers in Japan

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Empty homes crisis

Changing lives

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Hemsworth Court

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