Taking money to making money: SPARC, NSDF and Mahila Milan transform low-income shelter options in India

In India, a new funding mechanism has brought transformation to shelter options for low-income households and supported community-led development.

This paper looks at the financial design developed over 20 years to support hundreds of community-driven developments by the National Slum Dwellers Federation (NSDF) and Mahila Milan (a federation of women’s savings groups).

These community organisations work in association with the Mumbai-based NGO the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC).

This paper looks at the alliance’s work through the lens of financial management and administrative procedures. It shows the value added in engaging community organisations and federations and how they can co-produce, design and implement large projects as a result of the expertise they have gained through managing smaller modest projects.