Vision/Mission

Our Vision

We aim to provide access to basic infrastructure and housing for the city’s poor. Urban planning must be inclusive and recognize that the less privileged are equal stakeholders in the process of planning. Their participation is vital when the city plans are being drawn up.

Our Mission

Shelter Associates is an experienced NGO (16 years) that facilitates partnerships between the less privileged and other agencies, which include urban local bodies, funding agencies, and additional resource providers. The connections are formed in order to develop housing and infra-structure for urban poor.

The CBO (Community Based Organisation) Baandhani, an informal federation of the urban poor that works in partnership with Shelter, ensures maximum representation of the less privileged as well as their participation. Their input is essential to the entire process from plan design to the implementation and management of a sustainable project that is replicable and scalable.

Shelter Associates empowers people with purpose and enables them to pursue their right to dignity, resulting in toilets, homes, and livelihoods. Shelter uses its research findings as advocacy tools for impacting policies and raising awareness about issues concerning the urban poor.

Philosophy

We believe that accounting for the poor is an essential part of urban mainstream planning. When a city is being developed, the poor must be involved. The CBO Baandhani ensures maximum representation of the underprivileged and their participation in carrying the work forward. The poor need to be the most influential participants in plan design, implementation and management. or else a project will fail to be sustainable and replicable. A ground-up development structure allows urban slumdwellers to educate themselves and each other.

The NGO, Shelter Associates, acts as a link between the poor and many other agencies that fund or provide resources for housing and basic infrastructure for the poor. Additionally, Shelter supplies many services that benefit the poor such as drawing preparation, structural design, and journalistic outreach.

For the process of urban development to continue, the NGO-CBO partnership is a must. The two organisations must collaborate, because each has different assets to offer which ensure that the work progresses. Together, they can work towards sustainable, replicable housing and infrastructure projects.

The Third Partner

The third partner in restructuring urban slum development is the government. Its cooperation is essential if the poor are to be included into mainstream planning. Housing subsidies are important government resources that the NGO-CBO partnership must use. Infrastructure projects have to be supported by the local authorities. Land for the poor is a responsibility of the government, and sanctions must be given by the authorities.