Empowering Squatter Citizen. Local Government, Civil Society and Urban Poverty Reduction

This volume - the follow-up to Squatter Citizen - goes beyond conventional, official definitions based only on income or consumption levels to include considerations of housing conditions, tenure, infrastructure and service provision, the rule of law, and civil and political rights, including 'voice' and the right to influence policy and practice on the ground. It makes the case for redirecting support to local organizations and processes. Worldwide case studies of innovative government organizations and community-driven processes form the core of the book, showing new ways to address urban poverty. They show that poverty reduction in urban areas is as much about building and supporting competent, accountable local organizations as about attempting to improve incomes.