How Poor People Deal with Evictions

THIS PUBLICATION BY the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights focuses on how poor people deal with eviction. The articles cover a number of issues, including investigating the causes of eviction; dealing with different forms of eviction; and exploring ways to prevent poor communities from losing their homes. A lot is shown to depend on the active engagement of households at risk in a constructive dialogue with municipalities, often with help from CBOs and/or NGOs. This publication includes a variety of stories about communities negotiating alternatives to eviction. Over time there has been a remarkable change in how community organisations deal with the issue. Rather than being defensive and reacting only when eviction is about to happen, they are becoming more proactive and developing realistic alternatives long before eviction becomes an issue. Such work requires a change in the relationship between the different actors in the city, most importantly between the poor and their municipalities. This publication shows how this has been done and how it can be continued in the future through a process of preparation, dialogue and solution-building to develop long-term secure housing. It includes examples from India, Philippines, Indonesia, Beijing, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, South Africa, Japan and Zimbabwe, presenting strategies and tools that have been developed and applied in response to specific local circumstances.