Homeless International
Encyclopedia
Homeless International is a British NGO
focusing on urban poverty
issues in the developing world. It is a membership organisation registered both as a charity
and a company limited by guarantee
, with many members being UK housing association
s.
After the year ended, demand for support was still present in developing countries (for instance for establishing land tenure, offering loans for house improvements, improving basic infrastructure...); the remaining funds were used to set up a permanent organisation to respond to this demand, named Homeless International, and established in 1989. The trustees appointed Ruth McLeod as Director, and she remained Chief Executive until 2007, when Larry English took her succession.
In 1990, a set of beliefs was agreed as follows:
Over the years, Homeless International's work became more focussed on community-led initiatives and on urban poverty, although some of its current partner organisations also work in rural areas.
development in 11 countries: in Africa, Ghana
, Kenya
, Malawi
, Namibia
, Tanzania
, Zambia
and Zimbabwe
; in Asia, India
, Pakistan
, Sri Lanka
and Philippines
. It works in partnership with 12 organisations in these countries, most being members of either Slum Dwellers International
or the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights. The support is given in the form of grants helping these organisations to accomplish their projects and to build their capacity (£1.23 million in 2007-08), and of financial services: the Guarantee Fund and the Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF).
The Guarantee Fund was established in 1994 and allows communities of slum dwellers to secure loans from banks, with Homeless International offering a guarantee. The CLIFF project is the result of a DFID
-funded research entitled Bridging the Finance Gap, started in 1999, and first piloted in 2002 in India. It is a venture capital
facility which allows communities to implement demonstration projects, in order to secure funding for larger-scale projects
In Asia:
In Africa:
Many of the above organisations are part of the global network Slum Dwellers International
and follow a joint model where an NGO supports a community-based network of savings groups, often known as "the Federation". Some partners are part of ACHR, another international network of slum dwellers organisations.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
focusing on urban poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
issues in the developing world. It is a membership organisation registered both as a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
, with many members being UK housing association
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
s.
History
Homeless International was initially created in 1984 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless Trust or IYSH Trust UK, for the 1987 International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. The Trust organised a fundraising campaign and offered grants to more than 100 projects, both in the UK and overseas, all related to shelter issues.After the year ended, demand for support was still present in developing countries (for instance for establishing land tenure, offering loans for house improvements, improving basic infrastructure...); the remaining funds were used to set up a permanent organisation to respond to this demand, named Homeless International, and established in 1989. The trustees appointed Ruth McLeod as Director, and she remained Chief Executive until 2007, when Larry English took her succession.
In 1990, a set of beliefs was agreed as follows:
- That all people have an equal right to adequate, safe and secure shelter and that people who are unable to exercise this right are, in effect, homeless.
- That shelter is more than a house - it is a space for privacy, economic activity, social care and personal fulfilment.
- That shelter development is more than the building of houses - it is the development of neighbourhoods and communities that provide opportunities for social and cultural expression.
- That homelessness is a characteristic feature of poverty and that the eradication of poverty requires investment in the development of shelter that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
- That sustainable solutions to homelessness can be created only if people have access to appropriate land, finance, information, organisation and technology and also have an opportunity to play a lead role in designing solutions that work for them.
- That sharing information about creating solutions to homelessness allows people to learn from and support each other.
Over the years, Homeless International's work became more focussed on community-led initiatives and on urban poverty, although some of its current partner organisations also work in rural areas.
Activities
Homeless International works mainly by supporting community-led projects and initiatives related to slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
development in 11 countries: in Africa, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
; in Asia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It works in partnership with 12 organisations in these countries, most being members of either Slum Dwellers International
Slum Dwellers International
Slum Dwellers International is a global non-governmental organization that manages networks of the urban poor and slum dwellers that are organised into federations and which are usually based in the Global South. Its funders include the World Bank, USAID and the Gates Foundation.SDI argue that...
or the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights. The support is given in the form of grants helping these organisations to accomplish their projects and to build their capacity (£1.23 million in 2007-08), and of financial services: the Guarantee Fund and the Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF).
The Guarantee Fund was established in 1994 and allows communities of slum dwellers to secure loans from banks, with Homeless International offering a guarantee. The CLIFF project is the result of a DFID
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
-funded research entitled Bridging the Finance Gap, started in 1999, and first piloted in 2002 in India. It is a venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
facility which allows communities to implement demonstration projects, in order to secure funding for larger-scale projects
Current partners
Homeless International currently supports twelve partner organisations, and two international networks.In Asia:
- In IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: IVDP in Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, and the Indian Alliance India-wide. The Indian Alliance is composed of the NGO SPARCSociety for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers-Introduction:The Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers is one of the largest Indian NGOs working on housing and infrastructure issues for the urban poor...
, the networks Mahila MilanMahila MilanMahila Milan, meaning "women together," is a credit scheme designed to assist women pavement dwellers in Bombay.Assisted by SPARC, Mahila Milan runs a number of programmes...
and NSDFNational Slum Dwellers FederationThe National Slum Dwellers Federation in India was established by Jockin Arputham when he fought on behalf of a community of 70,000 to appeal a 1976 eviction order....
, and the non-profit construction company Nirman. - In PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: the Orangi Pilot ProjectOrangi Pilot ProjectThe Orangi Pilot Project refers to a socially innovative project carried out in 1980s in the squatter areas of Orangi Town, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It was initiated by Akhtar Hameed Khan, and involved the local residents solving their own sanitation problems...
. - In the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
: The NGO PACSII supporting the Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines. - In Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
: Sevanatha.
In Africa:
- In GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
: PDG supporting the Ghana Federation of the Urban Poor. - In KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
: The Kenyan Alliance, composed of the NGO Pamoja Trust, the network Muungano wa Wanavijiji, and the Akiba Mashinani Trust managing loan finance. - In MalawiMalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
: CCODE supporting the Malawi Homeless People’s Federation in Malawi. - In NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
: NHAG supporting the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia. - In TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
: CCI supporting the Tanzania Federation of the Urban Poor. - In ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
: PPHPZ supporting the Zambia Homeless and Poor People’s Federation. - In ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
: Dialogue Zimbabwe supporting the Zimbabwe Homeless People's Federation.
Many of the above organisations are part of the global network Slum Dwellers International
Slum Dwellers International
Slum Dwellers International is a global non-governmental organization that manages networks of the urban poor and slum dwellers that are organised into federations and which are usually based in the Global South. Its funders include the World Bank, USAID and the Gates Foundation.SDI argue that...
and follow a joint model where an NGO supports a community-based network of savings groups, often known as "the Federation". Some partners are part of ACHR, another international network of slum dwellers organisations.