Preservation of the right to housing

Mahila Housing Trust, India – Sustainable Habitat Development for Women  

• Figure: Members of the Mahila Housing Trust. Photo: MHT SEWA. Source: https://publications.iadb.org/publications/spanish/document/Vivienda_Qu%C3%A9_viene_de_pensar_la_unidad_a_construir_la_ciudad.pdf   

In 1994, SEWA Bank, an organization of self-employed women workers from slums in India, joined with the Foundation for the Public Interest to create the Gujarat Mahila SEWA Trust, which brings together and prepares these women to interact with the Government and lead the habitat improvement process. To do this, they created a housing tenure guarantee of between ten and fifteen years. By eliminating the risk of eviction, access to credit and housing improvement are promoted, resulting in a progressive regularization of informal settlements. MHT created the figure of Temporary Tenure, a ten to fifteen year guarantee of secure tenure for women living in informal settlements and their families. This figure applies when SEWA Bank or another private bank decides to grant a home improvement loan. The MHT transitional tenure concept challenged the understanding of tenure insecurity used by major financial institutions.  

More information: 

• BID’s Report Vivienda ¿Qué viene?: de pensar la unidad a construir la ciudad. Source: https://publications.iadb.org/publications/spanish/document/Vivienda_Qu%C3%A9_viene_de_pensar_la_unidad_a_construir_la_ciudad.pdf