Rooftops Canada. the international development program of cooperative and social housing groups in Canada

Transcription

1 Rooftops Canada the international development program of cooperative and social housing groups in Canada

2 Our Canadian Housing Partners The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHFC) The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) The Ontario Non- Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) The New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association (NBNPHA) la Confédération québécoise des coopératives d habitation (CQCH) The British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA)

3 The Challenge 1.2 Billion people - one third of the global urban population - live in slums. The UN Millennium Development Goals only hope to improve the lives of 100 million by 2015.

4 Our Response Rooftops Canada partners with housing groups, cooperatives, NGO s, trade unions, governments and the private sector to improve housing conditions and build sustainable communities.

5 Rooftops Canada s Core Partners NACHU - Kenya WAT Human Settlements Trust - Tanzania HPZ Zimbabwe YUVA - India CONGEH Cameroon Countries with current core partners Other country programs and projects

6 NACHU, Kenya NACHU provides financial services such as savings schemes for small businesses & education, and loans for house improvement in Kenya. NACHU promotes community mobilization, HIV and AIDS education and training, lobbying and advocacy around housing & shelter issues & human development.

7 WAT- Human Settlements Trust, Tanzania WAT supports housing cooperatives by providing technical assistance & skills training; works to improve conditions of informal settlements and provides housing finance to low & middle income women.

8 Housing People Of Zimbabwe HPZ works towards improved human settlements for Zimbabweans through advocacy, development cooperation & education. HPZ also works to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on the housing and cooperative movement.

9 Coalition des ONG et des OCB oeuvrant dans le domaine des Établissements Humains (CONGEH), Cameroon CONGEH promotes, supports and mobilizes development resources for NGOs working in the field of the human settlements. CONGEH focuses on housing and land rights advocacy, livelihoods, and microfinance, with cross-cutting themes of gender, HIV and AIDS.

10 YUVA, India YUVA works on issues related to the vulnerable and marginalised poor, focusing on rights related to housing and livelihood of children, youth, men and women residing on the pavements and slums of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. YUVA also contributes to research, policy development and networking initiatives at the state, national and global levels.

11 Key Focus Areas Social/ cooperative housing development and management Housing linked responses to HIV/AIDS Housing micro finance Community and local economic development Institutional development Post-disaster reconstruction

12 Gender Equity Rooftops Canada sponsors programs that create opportunities for women to gain equal access to housing and development opportunities

13 Human Rights and Good Governance Rooftops Canada supports advocacy work to promote the right to adequate housing and prevent forced evictions. Dialogue on housing solutions among all stakeholders promotes good governance.

14 Sustainability Rooftops Canada and its partners believe adequate and affordable housing must be linked to sustainable basic services while contributing to local social and economic development.

15 Africa: HIV and AIDS 24.5 million people living with HIV are found in sub-sahara Africa HIV is the leading cause of death in Africa Women account for the majority of those leaving with HIV million 2 million children live with HIV or have AIDS 12 million AIDS orphans live in sub-sahara Africa 4.7 million people living with HIV need antiretroviral therapy

16 HIV and AIDS is an Urgent Housing Issue! Evicted and/or homeless; home based care without a home? Cannot afford rent or loans because of medical bills Limited or no access to water and sanitation Over-crowding increases risk of opportunistic infection Inheritance practices discriminate against widows and children Orphans end up on city streets

17 Rooftops Canada s Response Developing strategies to respond to the AIDS crisis Works with NGOs, Municipal authorities to implement HIV and AIDS programs Consolidates understanding of HIV and AIDS related issues Building linkages and networks

18 Housing Linked Responses to HIV and AIDS When housing co-op members die from AIDS related diseases and leave loans unpaid, you suddenly find yourselves on the front lines of the AIDS crisis. We have to integrate HIV and AIDS issues as part of the whole process of housing and shelter provision. - National Cooperative Housing Union (NACHU), Kenya

19 Developing Housing Supports Setting favourable organizational policies Training trainers and leadership on housing and HIV and AIDS Transit and temporary shelters Housing and infrastructure development Ensuring inheritance rights of women and children through training in writing wills and living wills.

20 Promoting Social Sustainability Education and awareness to reduce stigma and discrimination Mobilization of youth Raising awareness on the link between Gender, Shelter and HIV and AIDS Promoting preventive behaviours Support to affected individuals and families

21 Creating Safety nets Livelihood support Nutritional support Microfinance for housing and small businesses Humanitarian relief

22 Ensuring Financial Sustainability HIV and AIDS risk fund for housing microfinance Improving social stability Tenant hardship cover

23 Strengthening Organizational Capacity through staff and Board sensitization and training, developing organization policy around HIV and AIDS, building partnerships and referral networks

24 Building and strengthening networks of practitioners through study visits, exchanges, regional and international workshops to share, document, and widely disseminate experiences, resources, and brainstorm strategies to confront common challenges.

25 Advocacy and Lobbying efforts focus on ensuring tenure security, gaining access to land for housing and facilities development and ensuring equality in inheritance and succession policies.

26 What you can do Link with housing groups that are working on HIV and AIDS in your area Start a dialogue on HIV and AIDS in your co-op/community Organize a special fund raising event for Rooftops Canada Call on the Canadian government to increase funding and access to generic drugs for people living with HIV and AIDS in developing countries. Donate to Rooftops Canada and Inform others

27 To find out how you can help. Contact: Rooftops Canada/ Abri International 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 313 Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T9 CANADA Tel: Fax: Website: