External Programs
As a nerve center of urban development efforts, PHILSSA's programs target the urban poor and are focused on coordinating the efforts and concerns of the following initiatives:
- The Urban Poor Colloquium is a broad-based national coordinating forum of NGOs involved in social housing and various urban poor concerns. PHILSSA serves as the national coordinating secretariat of the forum.
Participating Networks:
- PHILSSA
- The National Congress of CMP Originators - a national network of Community Mortgage Program originators and NGO social housing developers advocating, developing, and mainstreaming effective social housing programs for the poor, like the Community Mortgage Program of the government.
- The Urban Research Consortium (URC) -a group of individuals from the academe and research institutions doing research in support of policy advocacy for social housing and sustainable urban development programs.
- Freedom To Build -an NGO social housing developer actively promoting and developing social housing projects for low-income families.
- The UPC Regional Network -which promotes the UPC national thrust and strategies in accord with the prevailing circumstances of their respective regions and the peculiarities, strengths, and priorities of their NGO members. The regional networks are the National Capital Region Urban Poor Colloquium (UPC-NCR), Bicol Urban Poor Colloquium (BUPC),Visayas Urban Poor Colloquium (VUPC), and the Kahugpungan sa Mindanao (KAMI)
- PHILSSA
UPC Thrusts:
- Slum Upgrading
- Local Governance
- Socially Acceptable Relocation Sites
- Prevention of Violent and Forcible Demolitions
- Gender-Sensitive Housing
- Building the Capacities of People's Organizations
- Development & Decentralization of Community Mortgage Program
- Advocacy for Urban Poor & Socialized Housing Issues
- Databanking, Publication, & Exchanges of the Significant Gains of the Urban Poor on Social Housing Concerns
- Enhancing Legal Rights & Literacy to Protect & Promote the Housing Rights of the Poor
UPC Programs:
- Policy & Legislative Advocacy for Social Housing
- Weekly Radio Program on Urban Poor Issues & Concerns
- Paralegal Training
- Quick Reaction Team
- Monitoring of Demolitions
- People's Organization Exchange
- Cataloguing of Significant Experiences & Innovations in Social Housing
- Monitoring of Government Commitments on Social Housing
Research & Publication on Housing and Urban Poor Concerns focused on the production of studies and the publication of housing laws, policies, innovations, and other issues and concerns relevant to NGO and PO housing projects and advocacy.
Monitoring & Advocacy of Government Commitments to Social Housing and the Urban Poor Sector is PHILSSA-UPC’s thrust in housing advocacy, promoting coordination and collaboration among government agencies, bilateral institutions, the NGOs, and partner-POs.
