Baan Mankong: going to scale with “slum” and squatter upgrading in Thailand

Abstract

This paper describes the ambitious national slum and squatter upgrading programme launched by the Thai government in 2003 and implemented through the Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI). The programme centres on providing infrastructure subsidies and housing loans to low-income communities to support upgrading in situ wherever possible and, if not, to develop new homes close by. Support is provided not only to community organizations formed by the urban poor for projects but also to their networks, to allow them to work with city authorities and other local actors and with national agencies on city-wide upgrading programmes. It seeks to “go to scale “ by supporting thousands of community-driven initiatives within citywide programmes designed and managed by urban poor networks working in partnership with local actors. The paper gives some background information about CODI and its predecessor the Urban Community Development Office, before describing the national upgrading programme.