Tasneem Siddiqui

Overview

In 1987, Siddiqui conceived the Khuda-ki-Basti approach, helping the urban poor acquire legal titles to residential lots with a minimum affordable down payment. This represented a dramatic departure from the public sector development model, where state-owned land is first serviced with essential infrastructure and then plots are made available for purchase, usually to middle-class residents or real estate speculators. The Khuda-ki-Basti model is more of an informal sector approach, designed to provide greater access and affordability to the poor. The allocation process is problem-free, and plot acquisition is made when payment is received. Siddiqui founded Saiban to continue the work of scaling and perfecting the Khuda-ki-Basti methodology. At the same time he reactivated the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKAA), a quasi-governmental agency that regularizes and upgrades squatter settlements. SKAA serves as the link between Saiban and governmental authorities to make the approach sustainable. Saiban provides poor squatters with access to affordable plots of developed land in several settlements, thus providing secure residential tenure and public utilities in areas where the poor would normally have no access to such property or services. Saiban ensures housing is affordable with flexible payment schedules, and together with other non-profit organizations facilitates key social and economic services to the residents of developed housing communities, including education, healthcare and credit activities.