Policy

The Congress recognizes that shelter, including essential urban development services, is among the most fundamental of human needs. Shelter for most people in the developing countries consists largely of domestic materials assembled by local labor. While recognizing that most financing for such shelter must come from domestic resources, the Congress finds that carefully designed programs involving United States capital and expertise can increase the availability of domestic financing for improved shelter and related services for low-income people by demonstrating to local entrepreneurs and institutions that providing low-cost shelter can be financially viable. The Congress reaffirms, therefore, that the United States should continue to assist developing countries in marshalling resources for low-cost shelter. Particular attention should be given to programs which will support pilot projects for low-cost shelter or which will have a maximum demonstration impact on local institutions and national policy. The Congress declares that the long run goal of all such programs should be to develop domestic construction capabilities and to stimulate local credit institutions to make available domestic capital and other management and technological resources required for effective low-cost shelter programs and policies.