Urban poverty and shelter
There is no easy solution to urban poverty. However, Practical Action's experience in shelter and infrastructure development, commitment to working together with communities, and success in demonstrating to governments and authorities how their decisions impact on the lives of the poorest people have combined to produce a programme of work that is reaping results.
Today, Practical Action is working with communities across Kenya, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal helping families find solutions to the problems arising from the environment in which they live.
The need for shelter
Shelter is a fundamental human need. People require protection from the elements, somewhere to bring up their families, a place to work from and a home to call their own. Yet, at present, a fifth of the world's populationare either homeless or live in very poor housing. The majority of them are the poorest people of the world's developing countries
Poor families in developing countries are forced to improvise with their housing, either because building materials are too costly or - in areas vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods and landslides - good building land is too expensive.
For over 30 years Practical Action has been developing ways to help communities develop their own solutions to these housing problems. We help poor communities to make the best use of their own labour and to use locally produced building materials and construction techniques that they can afford and manage themselves.
Read more about our project work in housing and urban poverty
Slum improvement 
Earthquake-resistant housing |
Resisting the flood waters 
Improved sanitation in Kenyan slums |
