In Iloilo City, Philippines, an Inclusive Housing Program Protects Vulnerable Communities from Flood Risks

In Iloilo City, Philippines, a long-term partnership between the local government and the Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines Inc. (HPFPI) has transitioned vulnerable residents from informal settlements in flood-prone waterways to secure, centrally located housing. This participatory approach replaced previous forced evictions and underdeveloped relocation sites with community-driven planning and innovative financing. The program has supported 1,250 households in resettlement and established over 560 collective savings groups to provide low-interest loans for land and construction, bypassing traditional finance schemes that often exclude the lowest income segments. The initiative has integrated urban poor representatives into city government boards for resettlement, disaster risk, and land use planning.

• The Participatory Housing and Urban Development project has supported the resettlement of 1,250 households in Iloilo City, providing them with secure housing and improved access to health care, schools, and employment.
• To address the failure of mainstream finance schemes like the Community Mortgage Program to reach the lowest income earners, the Federation created an innovative financing model using community savings and low-interest loans. This effort led to the creation of more than 560 collective savings groups involving over 4,500 household members.
• The local government of Iloilo City shifted its approach from forced evictions to a collaborative model, purchasing a 16.2-hectare parcel for in-city relocation in 2002 and eventually establishing 23 relocation sites throughout the city.
• The partnership has institutionalized the role of the urban poor in city governance, with community leaders now serving as representatives on city government boards for disaster risk, resettlement, and land use planning.

APA

World Resources Institute (2023). In Iloilo City, Philippines, an Inclusive Housing Program Protects Vulnerable Communities from Flood Risks. https://www.wri.org/insights/iloilo-city-philippines-housing-flood-protection

Chicago

World Resources Institute. In Iloilo City, Philippines, an Inclusive Housing Program Protects Vulnerable Communities from Flood Risks. 2023. https://www.wri.org/insights/iloilo-city-philippines-housing-flood-protection.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=In Iloilo City, Philippines, an Inclusive Housing Program Protects Vulnerable Communities from Flood Risks |date=11 January 2023 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/iloilo-city-philippines-housing-flood-protection |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2023iloilo, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{In Iloilo City, Philippines, an Inclusive Housing Program Protects Vulnerable Communities from Flood Risks}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/iloilo-city-philippines-housing-flood-protection}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }