Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust

Mahila Housing Trust facilitates equitable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) in urban areas. Its integrated approach addresses infrastructure, behaviour, resource management, and community capacity. It connects low-income communities to funding for functional toilets, resolves land tenure issues, and promotes responsible sanitation behaviour. The Trust empowers communities to assess and revive traditional water sources, focusing not only on large cities but also on small towns. It fosters partnerships for locally relevant solutions and mobilizes public-private funds for sustainable water and sanitation systems, improving the quality of life for residents.

Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) addresses climate risks and promotes energy-efficient livelihoods. Its women-led approach focuses on innovative communication strategies to foster resilience. MHT empowers communities to assess risks, adopt affordable solutions, and access clean energy. It implements cooling measures, reduces urban heat islands, and extends climate insurance to the poor through scalable solutions. MHT's efforts aim to build sustainable and resilient communities in the face of climate change.

Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) is committed to securing women's rights to land, housing, and property. MHT empowers communities by informing them about available housing schemes and holding the Government accountable for construction quality and service delivery. It provides technical and financial assistance for housing construction and incremental improvement, while also safeguarding women's interests in slum redevelopment and public housing programmes. MHT works towards land tenure regularization and advocates for women's property rights and increased participation in managing public housing. Through training workshops and awareness programmes, MHT strives to empower women and ensure their control over property assets. Its efforts have led to the mandate of 50% women's participation in public housing Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

Microlending for Habitat Improvement is a crucial programme by Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) that aims to enable access to microfinance for habitat development in low-income communities. Many workers in India's unorganized sector lack formal documents and clear land titles, excluding them from the formal financial system. MHT utilizes its expertise in construction and community mobilization to develop financial products tailored for low-income housing finance. It promotes women-led credit cooperatives and inclusive models for assessing creditworthiness, considering the borrowers' financial capacity and asset compliance. MHT provides microloans to women for housing and infrastructure upgrades, including toilets, water facilities, home improvements, and resilience investments. Additionally, it has devised unique microloan products to address property tax backlogs, facilitating access to legal water and sanitation services in slums.

Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) implements the "Advancing Women Participation in Governance and Planning" programme to promote inclusive local governance in urban India. MHT empowers women community leaders, fostering their engagement in decision-making processes at the local Government level. Through collectives called Community Action Groups (CAGs), it addresses community concerns and advocates for development issues. MHT provides comprehensive training on governance, electoral processes, planning, and budget understanding. It also leverages digital technology to enhance citizen participation, equipping women with digital literacy skills and facilitating their engagement with the Government. Grassroots women leaders utilize digital tools to improve transparency in public service delivery and contribute to surveys. MHT's programme advances social justice and amplifies the voices of women in shaping development policies.