This calls for trust and political courage on the part of governments. Many countries have gone through radical decentralisation programmes. One example is India's 74th amendment to the constitution which devolves considerable authority from central to local levels of government. The Ghana District Assembly policy goes further by empowering urban Unit Committees to manage local government functions at a lower level than that of traditional metropolitan and municipal councils. However, few reach the level of the neighbourhood which can make decisions about the maintenance of communal toilets or the management of solid waste collection points.
Further devolution is needed.
Enabling and incorporating Giving the urban poor authority in their own neighbourhoods is the first step. But the poor also need to gain access to finance and land. Traditional approaches to mortgage finance and collateral have to be rethought if the poor are to be included. In India, for example, Citybank is financing slum redevelopment by a slum dwellers co-operative in Mumbai, supported by a guarantee fund provided by the British NGO Homeless International. In Thailand, the Urban Community Development Office, funded by the government, is providing loans directly to low-income community organisations and small informal sector enterprises.