Here’s an interesting article about a Bellagio conference focused on urban slumdwellers. The conference pointed to the need — and potential — for low-income housing support, especially around affordable and accessible credit. Acumen Fund has been working with Kashf and Saiban in Pakistan, as well as with Jamii Bora in Kenya, which are all leaders in building systems around affordable housing for the poor. We are finding that capital, however, is not the only constraint to housing improvement and ownership, but it is certainly part of the solution. What excited me most about this article was the growing realization that low-income people share similar aspirations to the rich, want to be included in the opportunities of a global world and are willing to pay what they can afford for basic services like housing. This movement of delivering affordable services so that people can make their own decisions and choices is beginning to grow — and we are proud to be a part of it.
The ability to own something restores dignity where there may have been almost none. Owning your home is not an urban need, is a basic human need for belonging and security. I only wish I could get involved in this cause in some way too.
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