Economic Asset and Income Generation at the community level

Ghana’s Urban Poor Fund (UPF) which was established in 2010 is called the Ghana Federation of the Urban Poor Fund (G-FUND). The goal of the G-FUND, like other SDI affiliates funds existing in Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, India among other countries, is to increase Ghana’s Urban Poor’s access to finance to improve his/her livelihood and acquire basic services. The purpose of the fund is in line with the 2030 agenda of not leaving anyone behind. G -FUND supports community efforts at improving their living conditions through access to affordable finance options. The facility encourages knowledge and risk sharing and innovative financing, and promotes community – led development processes in Ghana. G-FUND through partnerships and outreach to private sector businesses, foundations, development partners and bilateral and multi-lateral donors continue to mobilize significant resources to support the efforts of Ghana’s urban poor to make land and housing accessible to them.
Objectives
- Provide credit for home improvement and SME business development to low income households in urban Ghana;
- Provide guarantees to commercial banks to facilitate finance for low income households;
- Provide bridge finance for construction and other financial products that are required to implement housing and related infrastructure projects;
- Acts as a catalyst to facilitate pro-poor policy framework at city and national level for improving the quality of housing and services.
The Tema-Ashiaman Metropolitan Slum Upgrading Facility (TAMSUF) was under the UN-HABITAT Slum Upgrading Facility (SUF) programme which is a technical cooperation and seed capital facility with a central objective to mobilize domestic capital for slum upgrading projects and related activities. The SUF programme is the Urban Finance Branch of UN-HABITAT that works to provide business solutions to social and affordable housing. It was piloted in four countries namely; Ghana, Sri-Lanka, Indonesia and Tanzania.
Objectives:
- To meet the Millennium Development Goals on slums which was Goal 7, Target 11 which has been taken over by the SDG 11
- Assist National and local governments to raise sustainable funding for slum upgrading
- To raise funds up to $400,000.00 for capital enhancement
- To raise additional grant of $100,000.00 for administration and capacity development
- To provide further grant of US$400,000.00 for other capital projects