Housing development and women´s right to land and property. Review of Women Advancement Trust´s development programme and the partnership with NBBL

Background

The Norwegian Federation of Co-operative Housing Associations (NBBL) entered in 2003 into a three years development co-operation with Women Advancements Trust (WAT) in Tanzania. WAT has been a lobbying and advocacy organisation for women's rights to inheritance and ownership since its inception in 1989. Since 1996, UN Habitat II conference in Istanbul, WAT has also been engaged in self-help housing development. NBBL´s financial support is co-ordinated with Rooftops Canada through a basket funding agreement.

Purpose/objective

The purpose of the review was to assess the scope and achievements of WAT during the last three years. A further purpose was to review NBBL as a development actor in relation to the organisation and its programme. As NBBL's role has been closely co-ordinated with that of Rooftops, also Rooftops' role was to be taken into consideration. Especially the joint effort through the basket funding and its impact on the programme should be addressed.

Methodology

The methods used in the data collection were three fold. Firstly, information was sought through desk top review. This included documents directly related to the cooperation between WAT and NBBL and more general policy documents. Secondly, data were gathered by sets of interviews. Group interviews/discussions with officials of WAT were carried out over two full days. The review team also conducted four focused group discussions with cooperative groups who are supported by WAT. These interviews were supplemented by visits documenting the progress of housing construction on the various sites/locations. Finally, the review team had discussions with officials at municipal and state levels.

Key findings

- The technical advice from NBBL and Rooftops on housing finance, administration, management and affordable housing, have contributed to WAT's success in housing development for low income households. This support has also created a positive linkage between housing development efforts and gender sensitive practises on land and property ownership.

- WAT has a unique and valuable experience in lobbying and advocating for gender sensitive changes in the legalisation. WAT's efforts through their department for Information, Communication, Advocacy and Lobbying (ICAL) played a major role in the enactment of the Land Act and the Village Land Act. WAT has also been able to sensitise a sizable population on the need for having gender sensitive legal frameworks, particularly on the issue of equal rights to land and property for men and women.

- NBBL brought up the issue of affordability as a major variable in realising any housing development. Based on this WAT revised their design typologies so that houses can be built incrementally within reasonable time. They also developed a strategy on how to sensitize the target group on the issue of affordability including cost-efficient measures such as alternative building materials and maximum self-help labour.

- The basket funding arrangement contains a lot of benefits for WAT. Firstly it supports their independence and responsibility of their own activities. The basket funding therefore builds capacity within WAT in terms of independence and viability. Secondly, the basket funding also brings flexibility into the organisation. If the parties agree to change priorities, for instance due to external changes, they can do so more easily.

- Through the Shelter Loan Revolving Fund (SLRF), WAT have contributed positively to the lending possibilities for low income households. The concept of using "upatu groups" (merry go round) has been quite successful, as it enables people with lower incomes to access credit facilities. The technical assistance on financial management provided by both NBBL and Rooftops has greatly improved WAT's financial management capability. This has made WAT's operations transparent, accessible and accountable.

- The regularisation and upgrading pilot project which has started in Hanna Nassif, has targeted only landlords. The housing needs of the tenants have not been addressed, and if the most disadvantaged groups have to be catered for, then the housing needs of tenants should also be taken into consideration.

Recommendations

A. Efforts on implementing affordable housing
Most groups working with WAT are still in the process of acquiring land and very few have started housing construction. Obviously much effort is needed to promote and advice these groups in achieving their goals. It is necessary to continue the important efforts of adjusting the sizes of the new houses to the affordability levels of the upatu group members, and the efforts of improving sustainable building materials and techniques.

B. The need for smaller houses and appropriate building standards
The building by-laws as they stand today specify very high standards. Low income earners could make do with lower standards, and still build technically adequate housing. WAT is already cooperating with the National Housing and Building Research Agency (NHBRA), and could pave the way in advocating for smaller affordable houses, whereas NHBRA could focus on appropriate building standards. Collaboration between the two would strengthen these efforts.

C: Regularisation and tenants: Implementing WAT's experiences
If the most disadvantaged groups shall be catered for, the housing needs of tenants should be at the forefront in WAT´s work with regularisation and upgrading in informal settlements.

D: Gender awareness and it's linkage to the new government initiatives
WAT has the ambition to use its experience to influence the review of the inheritance act. This effort will require a lot of ICAL's resources. In this regard, the Government could be approached in order to support some of the activities within this unit.

E: Implementing WAT's experiences on housing finance for low income households
The amount of money lent through SLRF has been relatively small because of limited number of lenders. In order to scale up the activities, larger sums of money are needed. It is therefore advisable for WAT to use their experience to increase adequate credit opportunities for low income households. It can be done by increased financial capacity in WAT's own SLRF. It can also be done by promoting individual credit possibilities, for instance through the WAT Saccos, an independent credit-institution. A careful start with limited individual loans for savers with proven saving abilities may be one way to go.