Housing the World from the Bottom Up - Collective Housing in Action

This networking event showcases community-led and collective housing development in Asia as a pathway to building safe, inclusive, and resilient cities. Drawing on Thailand’s Baan Mankong Programme as a proven and scalable people-centered housing policy, alongside experiences and best practices from community networks across the region, the event highlights how collective action, secure land tenure, and participatory planning can address housing insecurity, urban poverty, and climate-related risks.
By convening policymakers, community leaders, practitioners, researchers, and development partners, the session creates a space for dialogue, connection, and peer learning across diverse contexts. It is designed to facilitate exchange among actors, strengthen trust and mutual understanding, and lay the groundwork for inclusive, multi-stakeholder partnerships. Particular emphasis will be placed on community voices and lived experiences, recognizing local leadership and collective decision-making as essential to social cohesion, resilience, and sustainable urban development.
The event will also explore how partnerships can be translated into action through enabling policy environments, innovative financing mechanisms, and supportive institutional arrangements. Discussions will focus on how governments, financial institutions, and development partners can collaborate with communities to co-design, implement, and scale up community-led housing initiatives. These partnerships are critical for moving beyond isolated pilots toward sustainable, system-wide solutions that respond to diverse urban challenges.
In addition, the session will promote South–South cooperation by connecting community networks and practitioners who face rapid urbanization and climate change. By strengthening regional linkages and fostering ongoing collaboration, the event aims to contribute to a growing community of practice on people-centered housing. Ultimately, the networking event seeks to catalyze collective action and durable partnerships in support of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable housing solutions that uphold dignity, equity, and the right to adequate housing for all.