Community-led housing and land management: sharing experiences from Angola, Brazil, Canada and Uganda

We aim to place land at the centre of the global debate on housing rights, drawing on experiences from countries with different social, economic, and institutional contexts, yet facing similar challenges. Its primary focus is to explore collective land management regimes and their contributions to advancing the right to adequate housing and the right to the city, particularly in informal settlements. Innovative practices and models such as Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and Participatory Inclusive Land Readjustment (PILaR) will be examined as approaches to strengthening security of land tenure and promoting equitable urban development in vulnerable communities across both the Global North and the Global South. These models challenge conventional land and housing systems by placing communities at the centre of decision-making processes and long-term stewardship of land. The event is co-organised by four organisations: DW Angola (submitting organisation), Catalytic Communities (Brazil), Rooftops Canada and Shelter and Settlements Alternative (SSA Uganda). Despite operating in distinct contexts, all share a commitment to addressing housing development and tenure insecurity through community-led approaches, with an emphasis on gender equality and ensuring women’s rights to land. The initiative emerges from a growing transnational partnership that fosters both South–South and South–North cooperation. The event is further supported by Habitat International Coalition (HIC), International Center for Community Land Trusts and Global Land Tool Network (GLTN). The session will bring together a diverse and multidisciplinary group of panelists from Angola, Brazil, Uganda and Canada, representing academia, civil society, and grassroots organisations. This composition is intended to stimulate a rich exchange of perspectives on shared challenges and, in particular, on community-driven solutions to the global housing crisis. The main objectives of the event are to: • Explore community-led housing and land management models, including their lessons, potential, and challenges; • Discuss the role of land governance in advancing housing rights globally • Promote the exchange of experiences among diverse actors and strengthen transnational partnerships • Share tools, strategies and solutions to advance land rights and encourage their replication; • Highlight participatory approaches to the development and upgrading of informal settlements, recognising residents as key protagonists in shaping their communities.