The authorities agree that our community can stay on the land where we have settled. How can we improve our area? What are the important things we need to work for or demand?

What Can You Do?

Authorities often decide that the best way to upgrade an area is to move the people out. Then they upgrade the area. The improved land is often too expensive for the same people to move back onto, and often there are fewer sites.

Community leaders can take political steps rather than legal steps and negotiate a better way to improve the area. The upgrading can take place while the people carry on living in the area. If the community is involved in the improvements, they will have a better chance of getting what they need and want in the area. A community can make suggestions to authorities about, and organise for:

Loans: Banks seldom lend money for squatter housing improvement, because they think that many people will not be able to pay the money back. The government gives subsidies to families that qualify to help them pay for housing.
(See: Land redistribution and land grants) (See: Types of housing subsidies)
Communities can organise group savings schemes to save money to add to their subsidies.

Building materials and advice: Communities can approach demolishers, construction companies and companies that produce building materials, to ask for cheaper stock or second-hand materials. People in the community can also make building materials. Your local authority can assist. Contact the Department of Human Settlements to find out more about the People’s Housing Process.

(See: The People’s Housing Process Establishment Grants)

Investment in public buildings and services: Communities can lobby local authorities and government to build places like community centres and childcare centres. This adds to people’s feeling of security in the area.