SDI
The Pitch
Slum Dwellers International (SDI) established the Urban Poor Fund International (UPFI) in 2007 to finance community-driven upgrading projects in informal settlements that improve local living conditions and address neighborhoods’ needs.
The Problem
A significant proportion of the global population lives in informal settlements. Many of these communities are impoverished, face insecure land tenure and have little access to sanitation, clean water and safe housing. However, informal settlements and their concerns are often excluded from the decision-making processes that govern upgrading projects in their communities.
The Process
- Provided capital to community-driven projects that improve living conditions in informal settlements (including obtaining housing tenure and safer housing, and establishing sanitation, infrastructure and access to clean water)
- Identified effective upgrading approaches for clean energy in informal settlements and shared best practices
- Helped to build the foundations of long-term partnerships between informal settlement communities and local governments
- Provided access to data about informal settlements via UPFI’s citywide profiles
The Impact
- Invested $11 million from 2013 to 2017 in community-designed projects that were inclusive, scalable and leveraged contributions from government and urban development stakeholders
- Improved access to basic services for 45,000 families and provided access to clean energy for 21,000 families
- Facilitated 39 informal settlement federation partnerships with local authorities
- Inspired replication of 38 similar projects in other cities
