Low-income communities in urban areas of the Philippines have greater opportunities to participate collectively in the development of their housing at both local and national levels
Faced with rising levels of urbanisation and poverty, the Philippines faces a significant shortage of adequate housing solutions for vulnerable populations, particularly for slum residents who are generally excluded from planning processes.
Without adequate intervention, this housing deficit could reach at least 10 to 11 million units by 2028. Participatory housing presents an effective solution not only to address the housing shortage but also to create sustainable, cohesive, safe, and resilient communities that exercise their right to housing.
Local Partner: PACSII
The Philippine Action for Community-Led Shelter Initiatives (PACSII) has over 20 years of experience supporting community members in organising, consolidating as groups, establishing systems and structures for collective decision-making, and planning, implementing, monitoring, and mobilising funds and support for their community projects. PACSII is involved in implementing participatory housing projects with the support of its partner NGOs, focusing on community organisation and the social dimensions of the projects.
Through community mobilisation, capacity development, technical assistance, experience sharing, and advocacy, this project aims to strengthen the agency of low-income residents, enabling them to become key actors in the planning and management of their housing, while advocating for policies and operational mechanisms that support them in their efforts. Vulnerable urban communities benefit from enhanced training, organisation, and cohesion, gaining greater access to mechanisms that support them in planning, implementing, and monitoring their participatory housing projects. They are also connected to a network that facilitates their participation in decision-making spaces concerning their housing. Technical assistance actors benefit from strengthened capacity, reach, and influence, achieving greater leverage at both local and national levels to advance participatory housing solutions.
Activities
Institutional strengthening
- Assessment of organisational and staff capacities
- Formulation and implementation of institutional gender policies
- Regional-level coordination
Capacity building and technical assistance
- Paralegal training for communities on housing-related laws
- City-to-city learning exchanges
- Participatory housing training for technical professionals
Community organising
- Mobilising and training groups on community savings
- Technical assistance to 3 communities on their participatory housing projects
- Support for the development of income-generating activities
Experience exchanges and advocacy
- Establishment of local participatory housing consortia
- Proposal of a national participatory housing policy
- Exchanges at the regional and international levels
Direct and indirect beneficiaries
Direct: 2,012 people, including approximately 1,106 women
- 17 beneficiaries from the local partner organization
- 1,860 members of poor urban communities in 3 cities (Davao, Mandaue, Guinobatan)
- 45 professionals and students
- 90 beneficiaries from civil society and government
Indirect: estimated 310,160 people (based on an average household of 5 people)
- People and families affiliated with the Federation (HPFPI)
- 52,226 households affected by the housing deficit
