Over the last decade an increasing number of developing countries have realised that the post-War solution of developed countries to their housing problem in the form of large-scale government construction programmes was not a feasible option. They do not have the resources available to meet the shelter needs of their growing and migrating populations in this way. They have also been reminded that the majority of families have traditionally built or managed the construction of their own houses and that despite the government’s efforts at building houses for people, most households still solve their own housing problem.

The new programmes of self-built or self-managed housing, sites-and-services and slum improvement have sought to return to households the opportunity to construct or manage the construction of their own houses, with government assisting in the provision of land, services and finance.

For many poor families, the mere availability of these facilities has not enabled them to improve their living conditions. Some families still struggle to earn enough to live from day-to-day and for them a permanent house is not yet a priority. Others have not had access to basic services such as water and sanitation and neither have they benefited from programmes of health, education and employment. In order to provide households with encouragement and support to improve their living standards there is a need for community-based development programmes. Government-sponsored community development projects in support of housing programmes have mainly been in two forms. Either they have been used as a method of convincing people to accept the government’s programmes, or they have been piecemeal projects which have brought about only marginal improvement to the real problems and priorities of poor households.

A paper written by Dr W.J. Cousins, Urban Adviser, UNICEF, and Mr Kirtee Shah from Ahmedabad Study Action Group entitled “Housing and Development” emphasises some of the above points. For example, they state:

“The present crisis in the housing sector is largely the crisis of inappropriate invention. The major fault lies in ignoring peoples’ skills, genius and resources. Therefore, policies, programmes and projects need to be reoriented to put people in the centre of the housing process.

“Instead of asking people to participate in the housing programmes organised by formal housing agencies, the housing agencies themselves will have to get organised to participate in the housing activities planned and executed by the people."1

These quotations emphasise the potential of providing community development support for shelter projects and how they themselves can lead to broader-based community self-reliance and self-development.

This paper examines four basic questions. First, what are we trying to achieve by community development support for housing projects? Secondly, why is community support important? Thirdly, how can we develop a problem-solving approach? Fourthly, who should do what? 

• 1. ‘Shah, K. and Cousins. W.J.. “Housing and Development. in: Shelter. Vol. IV. No. I. New Delhi, India, Summer 1981.