FinalCover-14.indd 2 JUL-SEP 2017 INTERNATIONAL EDITION architecture design f H or all ousing ousing landscape urban planning ISSN 2455-2380 € 15/$15 24/06/17 5:39 pm change agents>Myanmar Yangon Empowering Migrant Communities to Secure Housing

Banashree Banerjee and Maartje van Eerd take a look at how women’s savings groups helped migrants resettle in better homes

ommunity groups in Yangon, Myanmar, incremental housing solutions with a fraction have been instrumental in the setting up of the cost incurred in public housing for the Cof pilot housing projects. The projects poor in Myanmar. This initiative, to be better themselves are small, but they represent a understood, needs to be placed in the wider different way of solving the housing problem for context of city development, migration, poverty poor urban migrants in a country that is grappling and housing options in Yangon. with very rapid socio-political changes and economic liberalisation simultaneously. Above Promises and challenges of housing poor all, the projects stand out for demonstration migrants in Yangon of a down-to-earth collaborative approach, in “We will establish, as quickly as possible, a which migrant households are supported by a programme for the rehousing of homeless Clockwise, starting from Left: local NGO, Women for the World (WFW), to migrants, who have moved to the cities as a result - A typical family in North save for housing and procure land collectively. of natural disasters, economic opportunities and Okkalpa project - Htantapin project They then work with young architects to land confiscation.” This is one of the promises - Children in Htantapin generate their own settlement designs and made by the National League for Democracy project photo: Banashree Banerjee Banashree photo: Banerjee Banashree photo: erd E photo: Maartje van van Maartje photo:

Protesters at the May 14 rally with signs that read: ‘Ramenki District against the Renovation’

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UB-yangon-14.indd 98 24/06/17 3:17 pm (NLD) in its 2015 election manifesto. In one testimony to the lack of formal housing options. When the groups sentence, the manifesto sums up the development The military regime had tried to cope with the issues in Myanmar and its resolve to address problem by evicting squatters and relocating have saved the most pressing need in cities: housing some of them to the city’s fringes. Even enough, they thousands of migrants. Yangon, the largest city, when public housing was constructed by the set up a housing the erstwhile national capital and business Department of Urban and Housing Development committee, look and industrial centre of Myanmar, has always (DUHD), it was never sufficient in relation to attracted its share of migrants, but events in the numbers. So, the NLD’s election manifesto for land, buy it the last decade have stimulated a huge upsurge obviously caught the attention of voters by and build their of migration. It began with Cyclone Nargis, flagging the importance of housing for migrants. own houses which devastated the Ayeyarwady Delta region The NLD came into power with a thumping in 2008. Yangon was the obvious destination for majority in the December 2015 national elections thousands of people who lost their homes and and formed the government in March 2016. livelihoods. And then came the withdrawal of What is the new government doing about military rule in 2011 after five decades and the housing migrants in Yangon? Soon after opening up of the country to private and foreign taking office, the new Yangon Region Chief investment at breakneck speed. Industries, Minister gave an interview to Mizzima Weekly trade and commerce, resurgence of education (April 28, 2016) in which he expressed great and the accompanying construction, centred concern for “people who have nowhere to live mostly in and around Yangon, continue to and nothing to eat.” He emphasised that it is generate job opportunities, attracting migrants important to “compile reliable information on from all over Myanmar. homeless and jobless people in order to help But the one thing that Yangon does not those people.” He also expressed concern that Clockwise, starting from Top Left : offer its steady stream of poor migrants is building huts informally for migrants has become - Children in Htantapin housing that they can afford with their low a business, creating additional difficulties to project wages and escalating land prices. The growing finding a solution. Finally, he expressed the - Bead embroidery in North Okkalapa project number of people living in informal, insecure determination of his government to solve the - Fire-fighting preparedness and environmentally precarious situations is problems. As a starting point, there seems to be in Htantapin project erd erd E E

Anna Sorokina with a sign

that reads: ‘The Constitution van Maartje to: is the fundamental law of the photo: Maartje van van Maartje photo: Russian Federation’ pho erd E photo: Maartje van van Maartje photo:

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erd Many of the poor, particularly migrants, are not E counted or included for government programmes for housing, health and education, as they are not registered as residents where they live. Further, a Save the Children study in three townships (Lives on Loan, 2016) found, among other vulnerability

photo: Maartje van van Maartje photo: indicators, a high level of indebtedness even for day-to-day survival as well as a large number of households headed by women.

WFW and the community housing process In 2004 WFW, the Yangon based NGO, had already found that squatter communities were crippled with informal debts, with interest rates as high as 20%. Many were on the verge of eviction, having fallen behind on the relatively high rents demanded by landlords. WFW convinced slum women from Hlaing Thar Yar township to counter this exploitation by developing their own savings groups with small daily savings of 100 to 200 MMK (1000 International trainees from an understanding that evictions will not take Myanmar Kyats or MMK = USD 0.73). Soon, an IHS course with the place unless people can be resettled. The new these women had enough to start distributing community in North Okkalapa project government has continued the already committed low-interest loans to members of their savings task of the previous government of building collective, first towards paying off outstanding affordable housing directly and through various debts and then to buy sewing machines or PPP (puplic private partnership) arrangements livestock, or to make small upgrades to their in the old top-down supply-driven model. The homes. The number of savings groups increased pace of projects has been stepped up, but the and spread to two other townships. scale is still nowhere near the need and, more Then WFW took up the work of rehabilitating importantly, the housing being produced is, by a network of 15 villages devastated by cyclone the government’s own admission, much beyond Nargis in 2008 with support from the Asian the affordability of a vast majority of the city’s Coalition for Community Action (ACCA) project. population. The Construction and Housing The experience gained in those villages in setting Development Bank (CHDB) was set up to make up women’s savings groups, establishing rice housing affordable to the poor through credit banks and rebuilding destroyed houses, roads schemes. But the poor do not fulfil the loan and bridges with village communities was the eligibility criteria set by the bank. precursor to taking the leap from supporting In the meantime, informal housing continues savings groups to land and housing in Yangon. to grow rapidly in Yangon. According to DUHD, Again with the assistance of the ACCA there were 153 slum settlements in Yangon project, WFW acquired the skills to work with in 2010. A 2016 slum mapping exercise of the tools used all over Asia by Asian Coalition for UN-Habitat identified 423 settlements with a Housing Rights (ACHR), which implemented population of about 364,315. This is considered ACCA in 150 cities in 15 Asian countries to a conservative figure in comparison with the support community groups to find their own estimate of Yangon City Development Committee housing solutions. The process starts with (YCDC) of 400,000 persons living in informal community mapping and forming savings settlements without basic services. Most of these groups. When the groups have saved enough, settlements are in the peripheral townships, they set up a housing committee, look for land inhabited either by migrants or evictees from the and buy it and build their own houses. Daw city centre. A typical settlement consists of shacks Van Lizar, the co-founder of WFW asserts that, made of bamboo mats and recycled material built “Mapping is a tool for building a community’s on stilts on swampy, low-lying land with a variety understanding of where they live and for of tenure conditions like insecure renting and people to come together and understand – by migrants who live in floodable settlements on the working together – what their possibilities are banks of rivers, creeks and drains. for building a better community. Group savings In spite of growing job opportunities are an effective tool to improve leadership in Yangon and particularly in the suburban skills, financial management… it builds trust townships, the poverty level is 34% (World Bank). within the community, it contributes to team

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UB-yangon-14.indd 100 24/06/17 3:18 pm change agents>Myanmar photo: Banashree Banerjee Banashree photo:

Artist’s Renderings of Original and Rehabilitated Micro-rayon. photo: Van Lizar Van photo:

from farmland to residential. With the expansion built with wooden posts and trusses with bamboo Left: Slum in North Okkalapa of the city more people started moving into this mat or plastic sheet walls and corrugated iron Township Right: Building houses in area and infrastructure improved with access to roofs. Each house has a toilet behind the house, Hlaing Tar Yar project electricity, water and sewerage. with three houses sharing a septic tank. The The women’s savings group in the township houses are built on stilts as the land is floodable, consisted of renters living in different wards. like in the rest of the ward and most other places After saving for a year, they got together to form where the poor live. Now the community, among the housing committee, which was able to find the poorest in Yangon, is negotiating with the 20,000 sq. ft. (100 x 200) of agricultural land and Cooperative Department of the township for co- despite rising prices, paid only 11 million MMK operative tenure and is being helped by the ward (US$ 13,095), with a loan from the City Fund. councillor in the process. It is an upwardly mobile The committee selected the poorest households community with homes, jobs and home-based for the project. Awn Ra, a master’s student economic activities. from IHS, found in her research in 2016 that these households are all from the same ethnic Learning lessons background; the household size is between There is no doubt that these first community- four to six, many are daily wage earners, with planned and community-built urban poor housing household income ranging between 150,000 to projects demonstrate a new model of collective 300,000 MMK. Indebtedness used to be a big secure housing for the poorest landless migrants problem till they formed the savings groups. in Yangon’s peripheral slums. They materialised The women indicated that collective savings because the women’s savings groups managed had strengthened them, although managing the to buy inexpensive land on the city’s periphery group was not easy. At a certain stage accounting when prices were still relatively low and build mistakes and disagreements almost brought three small projects, with the support of WFW the group to a standstill. But they managed to and ACCA. But since then, land prices have learn from their mistakes and moved on with escalated many times and as of now it has become encouragement and training from WFW. impossible for the poor to buy land in the same The community organised a workshop to plan way. Can this initiative then provide a way the layout of the new area and the design of their forward for the vast numbers of the poor who new houses with help from community architects need secure housing? Perhaps not in the same from ACHR. Other squatter communities, way, but there are many lessons here that can villagers, architects and engineers also attended provide a way forward. the workshop, having seen and heard about the Collective savings are a good starting Pyit Taing Htaung project. The houses were built point for communities to build confidence with a loan of 700,000 MMK (US$ 883 at that and ability to invest in housing and deal time) from the City Fund. There are 30 houses with local authorities to acquire services and in the project site, which are all 10 x 18 sq. ft in secure tenure. Awn Ra found that the projects size arranged in clusters of six houses facing small provide tenure security through collective lanes and a community hall. All structures are land ownership and this provided them with

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UB-yangon-14.indd 102 24/06/17 3:18 pm building, consensus decision making, team of repeated demolitions. Forming the savings Can this work, transparency, accountability, literacy, group helped them come together and look for initiative then problem solving, self-reliance and confidence of cheap land. They finally found a suitable piece marginalised and vulnerable women at the grass- of agricultural land nearby (just 6,600 sq. ft.) provide a way roots level.” WFW uses a peer learning approach after a year of surveying and negotiating with forward for the to multiply savings groups as an essential step the landowner. A loan from the newly set up vast numbers towards social and financial empowerment and Yangon City Fund helped them purchase the of the poor who then secure housing. Those who wish to join the land, which was enough for 20 families. Then, housing committee have to save regularly for a with help from WFW and design support from need secure year. To be eligible, they should be poor and not community architects from ACHR, the women housing? own land anywhere. The next step is to look for designed their new community’s layout plan and cheap land, buy it and start building on it. simple inexpensive bamboo and thatch houses, WFW used ACCA funding to create the which they could build with a loan of 700,000 Yangon City Fund, from which groups could MMK (US$ 833 at that time). It took them three borrow money on the strength of their own months to build the houses and put in pathways savings to buy land and build houses. The ACCA and toilets with shared sceptic tanks. The houses link has also enabled WFW to build the capacity are 15 x 35 sq. ft. each in size and continue to be of savings group members through exchange improved incrementally by the owners. visits to countries like Thailand and Sri Lanka. So far WFW has supported three community PanTha Zin housing project in Hta Won Bae housing projects in Yangon since 2010: 20 Ward, North Okkalapa Township families in Hlaing Thar Yar Township, 30 families North Okkalapa Township was one of the satellite in North Okkalapa Township and 48 families in towns established in 1959 in the eastern part Htantapin Township as well as another project in of Yangon. Hta Won Bae Ward consisted of Mandalay. farmland, located outside the city limits, isolated from it and with underdeveloped infrastructure. Zooming in on two projects: In 1962, 250 evicted squatter families from Clockwise, starting from Top Left: Pyit Taing Htaung housing project in Yoe Lay Downtown Yangon were able to negotiate Hlaing Tar Yar Township Ward, Hlaing Thar Yar Township with the government to get farmlands in the - Mapping vacant land - Household survey by The community in Pyit Taing Htaung in Hlaing ward as part of a relocation package. They then savings group Thar Yar Township moved to Yangon after subdivided the land into smaller plots and sold - Community workshop cyclone Nargis in the Ayeyarwady Delta in it informally or built rooms that they rented out. facilitated by young architects 2008. They first moved into Ale Yaw Ward as Later, the government included Hta Won Bae - Land purchased for the squatters, where they were eventually fed up ward in the urban area and changed its zoning project photos: Van Lizar Van photos:

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UB-yangon-14.indd 101 24/06/17 3:18 pm Clockwise, starting from Top: North Okkalapa project - Community’s layout drawn by architects - Water harvesting - Windows at floor level - Carpenter at work

References: Boonyabancha, S., 2009, Land for housing the poor-by the poor themselves: experiences from the Baan Mankong Nationwide Slum Upgrading Programme in Thailand. Environment and Urbanization 21 (2), pp. 309-329. • Mizzima opportunities to invest in their houses. This is is production of liveable housing for a fraction of Weekly April 28, 2016, Now in line with literature that states that collective the amount invested in public housing. the hard part: Yangon’s new Chief Minister and the land tenure also strengthens community Most remarkable is the collaboration between challenge of development, processes that can help households to make the the community, architects and the NGO to evolve pp 14-18 • Ra, A., 2016, challenging transition from informal to formal affordable housing solutions. This is what now Impact of self-help housing project on the livelihood and provides protection against market forces brings architecture students to these projects of the beneficiaries: case (Boonyabancha, 2009). from institutions in Myanmar and other countries study of self-help housing Small innovations made by people in to learn how to work with poor community project in North Okkalapa Township, Yangon, their houses are also worth noting for their groups to evolve design solutions. Myanmar. IHS UMD 12 contribution to improving the quality of life. For With the coming of the new government thesis, Sept 2016. • Save the Children, Myanmar, 2016, instance, windows are placed for the comfort of in Myanmar, there is an interest in looking Lives on Loan •World Bank, people sitting or sleeping on the floor and empty at such housing solutions for the poor and an 2016, Myanmar Economic plastic bottles are recycled for making water acknowledgement that working with community Monitor. Anchoring economic expectations. harvesting arrangements. groups may be a move in the right direction World Bank Group, And of course the most important consideration towards greater housing sufficiency. December 2016.

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