This paper aims to inform future policy by providing a critical analysis of grassroots finance models. It argues for more locally centred and driven sustainable development but also considers the limitations: What are the critical challenges of participation, scale and the translation of savings into development resources? By concentrating on activities with a high degree of community leadership, this paper looks at the challenges of shaping localized arrangements to fit with structured development programming.

Available from:
http://pubs.iied.org/10176IIED/?k=urban [1]

This working paper is accompanied by a 4-page briefing, available from:
http://pubs.iied.org/17414IIED/?k=urban [2]