SayPro Advocate for Policy Change and Access to Resources

Advocate for Policy Change and Access to Resources

As part of the SayPro Monthly April SCSPR-81 initiative, SayPro places strong emphasis on advocating for systemic policy change that ensures long-term support and formal inclusion of informal settlements and backyard communities in national development agendas. These communities have historically been marginalized in terms of legal recognition, access to basic services, and financial support—a gap SayPro is actively working to close through coordinated advocacy and stakeholder engagement.

Core Advocacy Goals:

1. Secure Land Tenure and Legal Recognition
   • Promote land tenure reform and the regularization of informal settlements, ensuring residents are granted secure and transferable rights to the land they occupy.
   • Work with land authorities and urban development agencies to simplify land titling and registration processes.
   • Encourage governments to adopt inclusive land-use policies that prevent forced evictions and displacement.
2. Influence Policy for Inclusive Urban Development
   • Engage with national and local policymakers to integrate informal settlements and backyard dwellings into official urban development and housing strategies.
   • Provide technical input and community feedback on legislative frameworks such as:
     • The Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA)
     • Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)
     • Human Settlements White Paper
   • Advocate for long-term, multi-sectoral investment plans that prioritize informal communities in infrastructure rollouts.
3. Expand Access to Social Services
   • Push for the extension of water, sanitation, electricity, waste removal, health care, and education services to informal areas.
   • Facilitate intergovernmental dialogues to unblock delivery barriers and strengthen coordination among departments.
   • Promote the decentralization of service delivery so that municipalities have greater flexibility to meet localized needs.
4. Unlock Financial Resources for Infrastructure Development
   • Advocate for dedicated public budget lines to support slum upgrading and backyard infrastructure projects.
   • Support the creation of urban development funds that combine public, private, and philanthropic capital.
   • Work with financial institutions to create inclusive credit and grant schemes for community-led infrastructure initiatives.
   • Push for the inclusion of informal settlements in climate resilience and disaster recovery funding streams.
5. Strengthen Community Representation in Governance
   • Empower community leaders and residents to participate in public consultations, planning committees, and development forums.
   • Promote the formal recognition of informal settlement representative bodies in municipal governance systems.
   • Support leadership development and policy training for grassroots organizations.

Strategic Outcomes Expected:

• Formal recognition of a growing number of informal settlements and backyard communities
• Increased public and private investment in basic infrastructure and services
• More inclusive urban policies that reflect the needs of vulnerable populations
• Enhanced trust and collaboration between government and informal communities
• A policy environment that enables sustainable and dignified living conditions for all

Through its Advocacy and Policy Change pillar, SayPro works to dismantle structural barriers and create a future where informal communities are no longer invisible, but instead active, empowered participants in the urban fabric.