What is Shelter Forum and when was it formed?

Shelter Forum is a Non-Governmental Organization established in 1990 as a membership organization. Its mandate is to bring together like-minded Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-based Organizations (CBOs), other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and communities, locally and internationally to champion the right to secure, affordable and decent shelter for all

Shelter Forum niche is information generation/dissemination and policy advocacy on shelter issues conducted through engagements at local and international levels. The organization also supports coalition building within communities and civil society, through which it builds solidarity and capacity of communities to effectively engage policy makers and implementers. It links its members to policy and decision-makers and supports them through mobilizing resources to implement their programmes.

What key shelter issues does Shelter Forum deal with?

Shelter Forum programmes are formulated based on the recognition that there exist the following issues: 

·          Inadequate building by laws, standards and regulations which severely constraint shelter development, particularly in low-income urban environments.

·          Controversial land policies that lead to irregular and unequal allocations at the expense of the majority poor that critically affect shelter development in urban areas through evictions and demolitions of informal settlements.

·          Inadequate policies on housing rights, specifically those that fail to protect the rights of women, children and other marginalized groups to access decent and affordable shelter.

·          Poor information flow among institutions and individuals on building technologies and techniques, approaches and options in shelter improvement.

What strategies does Shelter Forum us to address key issues on shelter?

Some of the strategies used in addressing shelter issues are:

·          Provision of information on production of appropriate building materials and environmentally friendly technologies. Presentation of information in diverse ways to various target audiences.

·          Formation of strategic alliances with other NGO’s and institutions to develop and monitor new approaches to shelter delivery.

·          Utilization of instruments such as participative relationships with collaborating Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) to help ensure that their needs and aspirations are met.

What are the key programme areas of Shelter Forum?

Shelter Forum’s work in Kenya aims at reducing poverty by establishing and enhancing access to decent and affordable shelter. This is implemented through five key programs, namely:

1.       Information, Research, Documentation and Dissemination programmes

2.       Policy audit, Lobbying and Advocacy programmes

3.       Capacity building and Training programmes

4.       Networking, Coalition, Institutional and Community Linkages programme

5.       Resource mobilization programme

How can I work with Shelter Forum?

Shelter Forum works with members and partners who share in their vision of a society in which all persons, particularly the poor and disadvantaged can voice and exercise their right of access to secure, affordable and decent shelter.

Who is re members of Shelter Forum?

Shelter Forum has a wide membership consisting mainly of professionals, development workers, self-help and community groups. Membership is open to like-minded civil society organizations, community based organizations and individuals.

How can one become a member of Shelter Forum?

One becomes a member by formally applying for membership to Shelter Forum. The application is then assessed and if found suitable, the applicant is asked to pay a yearly subscription fee. This subscription is paid either by cash or Cheque in January every year. The current subscription is as below: