Strengthening Urban Poor organisations in Claiming their Right to Adequate Housing

The project will facilitate access to housing of informal settler families living along Metro Manila’s waterways and flood-prone zones using the People Plan approach. In the approach, members of MBOs/housing cooperatives decide on where they want their project to be located, what building design they prefer, and which construction firm to work with. In the construction phase, ISFs – through their housing cooperatives - get to participate actively in the monitoring and evaluation and even in the actual construction activities. In the resettlement phase, housing cooperatives are to be in charge of managing the estate of resettlement area, including the provision of common service facilities and community enterprises. Aside from accessing adequate housing for their members, cooperatives will equip to provide gender-sensitive, women empowering services for its members - develop women leadership, engage more women in enterprises, accessing financial services, and strive for greater influence of women in decision-making in their homes - and more men who espouse and practice gender equality in their families.