Realising collective housing rights at scale at the International Conference in Bangkok

Reflection written by Adriana Allen, HIC Former President 2019-2023, on the 2024 Collective Housing International Conference that took place in Bangkok 

Because housing is not the end but rather the beginning of wider and deeper transformative change to bring people to the centre of development.

We have the full vocabulary of change, not just concepts but practices, experiences and evidence to place housing back into local and national government and global agendas with the prominence and support it deserves.

Between 29 June and 4th July 2024, I had the pleasure to participate in the Collective Housing International Conference, organised by ACHR, Community Organisations Development Institute (CODI) and the Thai Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, in representation of The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, UCL and Habitat International Coalition (HIC). The gathering took place in Bangkok and brought together almost 200 participants from over 17 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, with the active participation of social movements, practitioners, activists, local and national governmental representatives and external support organisations.

CODI was created, and has been operating since the year 2000 under the supervision of the Minister of Social Development and Human Security. Together with ACHR it has pioneered over the years extraordinary and far reaching programmes and interventions to collectise the right to housing at scale under the leadership of Somsook Boonyabancha and many others, with examples including the Baan Mankong Collective Housing Program, and the Bangkok Lad Prao canal Housing Project,among other initiatives. Their work sets up valuable precedents and mechanisms to advance the social function of housing and dwellers control over financing and community organisation, and housing design and management.

You can watch two of the panels where I have the honour to participate online: one on Why Collective Housing [https://lnkd.in/eGq6YDRP] and on How to link collective housing with global development agendas and programs? [https://lnkd.in/eSA8G868].

So, Why Collective Housing? Below are six key take aways from the rich and enriching discussion we had:

1. Because it collectivises affordable finance, land, services and infrastructure, management and decision-making.
2. It generates and nurtures collectives capacities.
3. It calls governmental and international institutions to shift their gaze from the supply side to see and enhance the power of the demand side.
4. It goes beyond shelter to produce and protect habitat-related rights along all critical lifelines: food, water, sanitation, energy, health, social protection & so for.
5. It can stop the wasteful use of land and reclaim its social and ecological functions over its treatment as a commodity, as a source of wealth for a few and dispossession of large majorities
6. It has the potential to realise the right to adequate housing and to the city for poor and impoverished communities.