Establishment of the Habitat Security Program in the context of the Livelihoods of Urban Poor of Baan Mankong Network in Udon Thani Municipality

Abstract

This article is intended to demonstrate the outcomes of the establishment of a “land and house security fund.” 1) To investigate the context of the urban poor's livelihoods prior to the fund's establishment. 2) to identify the fund's impact on the security of urban impoverished households; and 3) to analyze the lessons learned in order to implement them in other contexts. This article is a compilation of the findings of a focus group with eight participants and an in-depth interview with three key informants who are the members and executors of the land and house security fund under the “Secure Housing” or “Baan Makong” in Udon Thani Municipality. The results indicated that the urban poor's livelihoods were vulnerable in five key areas: human capital, physical capital, financial capital, social capital, and natural capital. Nevertheless, the Baan Mankong Program enhanced the physical capital of their livelihoods, which is referred to as “habitat.” However, the urban poor continue to be vulnerable to losing their “house” because of the risk of illness or accident that is inherent in everyday life, as evidenced by the Baan Mankong Program. Consequently, the Baan Mankong Network Members' experiences served as a valuable lesson for its members at the national and city levels, who subsequently established the "Raksa Din Raksa Ban" Fund or land and house security fund. The purpose of this fund was to increase the financial capital of the network and to strengthen it from the city level to the national level. The funding execution principle is adjusted and adapted to the specific context of each community in the Udon Thani Municipality, thereby ensuring the security of the urban poor's homes. The insurance in this context refers to the potential and results of the development of urban poor well-being, which are the human capital and the outcome of Raksa Din Rasa Baan.