Archive for category: Homeless

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Poverty Alleviation by Providing ‘Housing for All’ in Cape Verde

Housing for All in Cape VerdeBetween 2016 and 2025, Cape Verde reduced its extreme poverty rate to 2.8% of the population. Successive administrations achieved this historic decline through a multi-faceted approach. The program to house all its people might be one of the largest contributors.

Launched in 2009, the ‘Housing for All’ scheme was set to be the largest social initiative the country had ever undertaken. At the time, Cape Verde faced a significant housing challenge, with a large share of the population living in a housing deficit. When the government unveiled the scheme, roughly one in four Cape Verdeans lived in poverty, with inadequate housing a central concern. Many of those problems are rooted in the country’s history.

Colonial Housing to Tourism Development Zones

During the period when Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony, the government prioritized creating urban neighborhoods to house local administrators. After independence in 1975, many Portuguese civil and military officials repatriated, and through the 1980s and 1990s a new middle class of civil servants and liberal professionals bought their vacated properties.

The private sector continued to play a dominant role through the 1990s as the government piloted new Declared Tourist Development Zones (ZDTIs). These zones, often by the coast, designated land for urban development focused on tourist services. After building infrastructure, the government sold the land to private developers for tourist attractions like hotels, nightclubs and bars.

The creation of ZDTIs coincided with an explosion of the service sector, which now accounts for more than 70% of gross domestic product (GDP), and with it the urban population. As migration increased toward the coasts, urban housing availability struggled to meet demand from rural-urban migrants looking for jobs.

In contrast to the luxurious resorts that tourists enjoy, the housing deficit is highest in urban areas. Many migrants settled in spontaneous, informal settlements on public property, land owned by the Catholic Church or plots of low commercial value. These sat at the greatest risk of landslides and flooding. Residents frequently built them from wood, cardboard, sheet metal and plastic in accommodations known as barracks. Barrack housing is also prevalent in rural areas, where poverty is most severe and where severe droughts and inefficient water mobilization have eroded agricultural productivity.

The Successes of ‘Housing for All’

The approach mirrored the different challenges in urban and rural areas. With initial funding of 200 million euros from the Government of Portugal and 20 million from the Cape Verdean government, the scheme took a three-pronged approach: the Habitar component built new housing units, the Rehabilitar program upgraded dangerous barrack homes in both urban and rural areas, and the smaller Prohabitar project targeted rural environments.

The program prioritized people in the hardest conditions. A report showed that the program gave priority to those with little access to public water or electricity, and housed the homeless, those in illegal housing and those in overcrowded homes regardless of legal status. Successful applicants now live in multi-story blocks with running water and electricity. Each compound has a children’s playground; larger ones include sports pitches, green walks, multipurpose rooms and community centers. Some function as self-contained neighborhoods with schools, clinics and police stations. Decree-Law No. 5/2016 requires community facilities and social integration plans for residents.

New Solutions to the Housing Deficit

Sustaining the program has been difficult. Although it sometimes paid families to build their own homes, the government faced unforeseen costs in default interest and credit-line debt. In 2021, it staggered payments on the initial 200 million euro Portuguese loan. Two years later, the minister of infrastructure, spatial planning and housing said the government had rerouted spending from building and rehabilitation toward debt repayment.

Housing nonetheless remained a political priority. Ahead of the May 2026 legislative elections, then-Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva pledged to solve the housing crisis, and his government directed funding toward a pledge to build 1,400 social housing units. Correia e Silva’s Movement for Democracy lost the election, however, and on June 19, 2026, Francisco Carvalho of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde took office as prime minister, inheriting the housing challenge after a decade of MpD rule.

A new mortgage program aimed at young people and households with unfavorable debt-to-income ratios also seeks to ease the deficit. The state will subsidize up to 55% of mortgage interest, and with support from Caixa Económica de Cabo Verde and Banco Comercial do Atlântico, it will in some cases cover the full down payment—potentially making home ownership realistic for more Cape Verdeans.

Another largely untapped source of housing sits in properties held by the Cape Verdean diaspora. The domestic population is about 520,000, but more Cape Verdeans live abroad than at home, and remittances make up about 12% of GDP. Locals complain that the homes emigrants leave behind sit disused and crumbling. When a property-holding emigrant dies without a will, contacting legal heirs abroad can be so costly and complex that probate never begins. Calls for a dedicated office to resolve these inheritance disputes remain unanswered.

The Future

‘Housing for All’ remains unfinished in Cape Verde. The program saw marked success from 2011 to 2021, before unforeseen costs made its current form harder to sustain. Still, the government presses on with programs to make a first home more affordable, and may welcome international support—including efforts to reclaim land in legal limbo. In recent years, United Nations (U.N.)-Habitat and Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) have helped seek solutions, and independent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like the Nilza Varela Foundation have built homes with their own funding. Together, these efforts have expanded access to affordable housing—a step that helps individuals escape poverty, and one closely tied to Cape Verde’s broader success against it.

– Luke Buckland

Luke is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Vietnam’s Social Housing Program

Vietnam’s Social Housing ProgramFor millions of factory workers in Vietnam’s industrial zones, the dream of a stable, safe home has been out of reach. Nhà Ở Xã Hội, Vietnam’s sweeping new social housing program, is changing that.

The Housing Gap Squeezing Vietnam’s Workers

Vietnam’s economic growth over the last two decades has been incredible, yet workers who power that growth face a painful trade-off. Home prices in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have risen 5.6% in the last year, with apartments averaging 80 million Vietnamese dong (VND), or about $3,028, per square meter. An average Vietnamese worker earns roughly 98.4 million VND annually, meaning an apartment can cost more than an entire year’s wages per square meter.

The burden falls hardest on the country’s industrial workforce. According to a National Statistics Office survey, nearly 70% of industrial zone workers currently live in substandard, unsafe rental accommodations. More than half live in temporary housing or on-site at factories, with 18.4% having less than six square meters of personal living space — about the size of a parking spot.

That strain persists even as Vietnam has made rapid progress against poverty nationally: 1.3% of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2025, down from 4.4% in 2021, according to the Asian Development Bank. Housing costs, rather than income alone, are now one of the sharpest financial pressures facing low-wage industrial workers, whose earnings have not kept pace with urban housing prices.

The 1 Million-Unit Solution

In response, the Vietnamese government launched Nhà Ở Xã Hội, one of Southeast Asia’s most ambitious housing initiatives. The plan aims to build more than 1 million social housing units between 2021 and 2030, specifically targeting industrial workers, low-income families and urban youth priced out of the commercial market.

The program offers heavily subsidized purchase prices and favorable loan terms, and has progressively expanded who qualifies. In April 2026, Ho Chi Minh City raised its income ceiling for eligibility to 25 million VND per month, meaning more workers can now access the program.

Momentum has accelerated dramatically. In 2025, Vietnam completed 102,633 social housing units across the country, exceeding its annual target by 2% and marking the highest single-year total since the program began. Ho Chi Minh City alone completed 14 projects totaling 13,040 apartments, hitting 100% of its local target.

Nationally, 698 projects are now underway covering more than 657,000 units in total, putting the program at roughly 62% of its overall 2030 target. Officials now believe the one-million-unit target could be reached two years ahead of schedule.

What It Means for Families

While the numbers tell one story, lived experience tells another. For workers commuting long distances from cramped rented rooms near industrial zones, access to a stable, affordable unit close to employment can mean lower transportation costs, better sleep, improved productivity and the ability to begin building savings for the first time. Ho Chi Minh City’s Social Policy Bank has extended housing loans totaling 1,570 billion VND to 2,205 borrowers as of March 2026, a 10.3% increase from the end of 2025, reflecting growing uptake as units become available and eligibility expands.

The government has also adjusted land use fee regulations to prevent commercial developers from pricing units beyond affordability. Additional preferential credit for social housing developers is also being introduced to keep construction moving.

Looking Ahead

Vietnam’s social housing program is far from finished, and challenges remain. Developers have flagged difficulties accessing preferential credit at certain stages of construction, and building at scale requires continued policy support and investment. For the 2026-2030 period, Ho Chi Minh City alone is targeting 181,257 units — a significant scale-up from prior years.

But the trajectory is clear. What began as an aspirational pledge is becoming infrastructure that real families can move into. For Vietnam’s industrial workers — the people assembling goods sold worldwide — the slow, quiet work of building stable homes is one of the most consequential poverty-reduction efforts in the region today.

– Saakshi Bhat

Saakshi is based in San Marcos, CA, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty Reduction in Taiwan

Poverty Reduction in TaiwanOver the last several decades, Taiwan has asserted itself on the world stage as a force for technological and industrial innovation, pumping the island’s small-but-mighty economy full of prosperity despite political tensions with its neighbor, mainland China. This is what the rest of the world sees, at least.

On the ground, however, working people are just trying to get by. Recently, both the government and local NGOs have been advocating for further poverty reduction in Taiwan. 

Homelessness

While a 2023 TVBS news report states that the island holds a little more than 3,000 unhoused individuals, this is likely an understatement, as based on a Taiwan News piece, reports on poverty levels have historically been underreported. About 80% of homeless individuals actually work full- or part-time, but on average only bring in around $5,000 NTD per month. 

The Working Poor

Similarly, Taiwan’s 2018 Low-income and Middle-income Family Living Condition Survey relayed that 70% of the poor population worked full-time, dead-end jobs. The Taiwan Social Welfare League reported officially that only 2.6% of the population was living beneath the poverty line, but 9% of people surveyed told the NGO that they believed they were actively impoverished.

In addition, studies have shown that the majority of impoverished households in Taiwan are single woman-led. Female-headed households under the poverty line actually jumped from 91,000 in 2013 to 110,000 in 2023. Gender-based wage gaps plague the Taiwanese workforce, seriously impacting women’s finances. Taiwanese feminist NGOs such as the Awakening Foundation have been advocating for gender equality in the workplace since the 1970s, pushing for more active enforcement of the Gender Equality in Employment Act. Lately, however, even more is being done on the part of the government for poverty reduction in Taiwan.

Good News in Government Assistance

While a 2021 study cited poverty issues stemming from the long list of prerequisites needed to apply for and receive government welfare, in late 2025, using national surplus money, Taiwan decidedly began practicing Basic Income initiatives. It provided cash handouts to every single citizen and eligible foreign resident, the latest provision a whopping $10,000 NTD, double the average monthly wage of homeless persons in Taiwan.

How an NGO Cares for Taiwan’s Homeless 

To address homelessness, in 2011, a group of Taiwanese social workers came together to found the Homeless Taiwan Association. On top of providing basic outreach initiatives like handing out food and supplies to those on the street, Homeless Taiwan has built four transitional shelters, affordable urban housing units and hygienic shower centers for unhoused people. The organization also facilitates vocational training for those in need of work experience to further disrupt the cycle of homelessness and actively reduce poverty for Taiwanese people.

For its “Hidden Taipei” initiative, Homeless Taiwan hires ex-homeless individuals to give city tours to volunteers, highlighting the life stories of houseless people and how deeply intertwined the impoverished experience is with urban environments. Since the program’s genesis in 2014, “Hidden Taipei” tours and educational programs led by ex-homeless individuals have numbered in the hundreds, further destigmatizing and bringing to light the life of homeless people in Taiwan’s capital city.

Looking Ahead

For the average worker, Taiwan’s profits have often floated near the ceilings of the economy and have never “trickled down.” But recently, things like Basic Income initiatives have become a meaningful tribute to the means of production.

When paired with efforts from organizations like Homeless Taiwan, it is clear that Taiwan is becoming increasingly aware of its wealth gap, and is working to solve these issues through advocacy, fair wealth distribution, and assisting its homeless population.

– Aren Lau

Aren is based in Brooklyn, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Net Café Refugees: Japan’s Hidden Urban Poverty

Net Café RefugeesIn Japan, a subtle form of homelessness has surfaced, particularly in the 24-hour internet cafés, which are traditionally viewed as venues for late-night gaming or manga reading. Instead of conventional street living, many low-income workers utilize these cubicle-sized booths as makeshift bedrooms. According to a poll by the Tokyo metropolitan government, it is estimated that around 4,000 individuals spend their workday nights sleeping in these cafés.

The growth in internet café homelessness exposes a deeper and frequently disregarded reality: poverty occurs even in high-income countries and is getting harder to escape, even though the world often considers Japan to be one of the most prosperous nations on Earth.

A High-Tech Refuge for the Working Poor

Many internet cafés in Tokyo, Osaka, and other large cities provide overnight packages that include free drinks, showers, reclining seats and private cubicles. These facilities offer a unique blend of affordability, anonymity and safety for those with inconsistent jobs or wages.

Often referred to as “net café refugees,” people who live in cafés are not always jobless. Many work as delivery drivers, cleaners, warehouse employees, convenience store employees, or part-time office assistants. However, saving for traditional housing is practically impossible due to low wages and irregular hours.

How Poverty Drives Internet Cafe Homelessness

Rising poverty in Japan has led to increased homelessness among internet café users, driven by unstable employment and low wages. Approximately 40% of workers engage in nonregular jobs, which offer diminished pay, benefits, and job security. A missed paycheck can swiftly result in homelessness, prompting individuals to use internet cafés as temporary, low-cost shelters.

High housing costs in Japan, particularly in cities like Tokyo, challenge low-income workers due to the rental system’s requirement for large upfront payments. This situation forces many, estimated at up to 4,000 according to a 2018 survey, to use internet cafés as their primary homes.

Internet café homelessness impacts a wide range of people, including young adults with precarious part-time jobs, middle-aged people laid off from long-term positions, internal migrants from rural areas looking for work in the cities, women fleeing abusive households or financial hardship and those who are cut off from their families and lack a support system.

Many workers do not fit the homeless stereotype. During the day, they blend in with metropolitan masses, keep their jobs and dress nicely. They discreetly withdraw to cramped cells rather than apartments at night. Because they are invisible, it is more difficult to track the issue and simpler for society to ignore it.

The Daily Reality of Cafe Living

Internet cafés, while providing short-term housing, could negatively affect residents’ physical, economic and emotional well-being. Inadequate bedding leads to physical strain and chronic fatigue, while limited access to hygiene facilities impacts self-esteem and health. Irregular sleep patterns further exacerbate mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Many net café refugees face ongoing stress from unstable living conditions, working without a safe place to sleep, which leads to fatigue and reduced job performance. The costs of café stays, irregular sleep, social isolation, and the lack of a stable address hinder access to jobs, banking and government aid, reinforcing a cycle of poverty even in wealthy nations.

Acknowledging the serious issue of homelessness, local governments like Tokyo’s administration are implementing emergency housing, free counseling, job placement programs and short-term lodging in government hostels. While these initiatives provide important support, they often offer only temporary relief rather than addressing the underlying causes of internet café homelessness, such as high housing costs and low wages.

NGOs Filling the Gaps

Numerous nonprofit organizations in Japan, such as Homedoor, are actively helping individuals facing hidden homelessness by offering free or low-cost temporary accommodation, food, clothing and hygiene products. They assist in navigating government services and advocate for changes to housing and employment laws, playing a crucial role for those hesitant to approach government offices.

Policy experts recommend several changes to end the cycle of poverty and hidden homelessness. Increasing the number of inexpensive public apartments and modular housing units could expand affordable housing initiatives and offer longer-term, safer housing options.

A Poverty Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

The growing number of net café refugees in Japan highlights the unexpected forms of modern poverty, despite the country’s wealth. As revealed in a 2025 exposition on hidden homelessness, many have to live in internet cafés, capsule hotels or unstable flats while contending with systemic barriers that perpetuate their low-income, precarious situations.

The international community may better understand the different forms of poverty and support solutions that guarantee everyone, regardless of location, has access to secure, stable housing by bringing attention to this mostly unseen problem.

– Katelyn Leano

Katelyn is based in Plainfield, IL, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Housing Initiatives and Homelessness in Guinea-Bissau

Homelessness in Guinea-bissauHomelessness in Guinea-Bissau is more accurately understood through the lens of housing insecurity rather than widespread street sleeping. In urban areas, particularly the capital city of Bissau, housing deprivation most commonly takes the form of informal and overcrowded living arrangements where residents lack access to durable construction and basic services such as water and sanitation. These conditions increase exposure to displacement, illness and economic marginalization. The scale of this vulnerability remains substantial: housing-sector profiling shows that approximately 74% of the population lives in slum or informal settlements, reflecting persistent deficits in housing quality, living space and essential infrastructure.

How Homelessness in Guinea-Bissau Is a Development Issue

Housing insecurity in Guinea-Bissau reflects deeper structural constraints associated with low levels of human development. Data from the United Nations Development Programme place the country in the low human development category, ranking 174 out of 193 countries with a Human Development Index value of 0.514 in 2023.

On the HDI scale, values closer to zero indicate severe constraints across health, education and living standards while higher scores reflect more consistent access to these foundations of well-being. Although Guinea-Bissau has made gradual progress over time, persistent deficits across these dimensions continue to shape housing outcomes. Limited access to safe water, sanitation and durable shelter undermines health; overcrowded living conditions disrupt educational participation; and housing instability constrains households’ ability to sustain livelihoods. Poor housing quality therefore does not simply result from low human development but actively reproduces disadvantage by reinforcing vulnerability across multiple domains.

Informal Settlements

In Bissau, informal settlements frequently occupy areas that lack access to essential services, including safe water, sanitation and energy infrastructure. The absence of a comprehensive urban planning framework contributes directly to this pattern. These infrastructure deficits expose residents to heightened environmental risk, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding, which damage homes and intensify cycles of displacement. Housing instability therefore operates not as an isolated social issue but as part of wider structural vulnerabilities that undermine health, disrupt education and constrain economic participation.

Public health research shows that inadequate housing conditions, including overcrowded living spaces and poor sanitation, are associated with higher risks of infectious disease and other adverse health outcomes. The World Health Organization’s Housing and health guidelines highlight how crowded and substandard housing contributes to health burdens by increasing people’s exposure to communicable diseases and undermining personal hygiene.

Addressing housing insecurity, therefore, functions as a direct intervention in poverty reduction rather than a peripheral welfare concern.

Active Housing Solutions in Guinea-Bissau

In response to these challenges, development initiatives in Guinea-Bissau increasingly focus on strengthening housing stability by reshaping policy frameworks and addressing gaps in urban planning and infrastructure provision. Within this landscape, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) plays a central role. Since 2015, UN-Habitat has worked alongside national and municipal authorities to strengthen urban governance and expand access to adequate housing through technical assistance in planning and policy development.

Rather than prioritizing short-term relief, UN-Habitat emphasizes long-term structural change by strengthening the systems that shape how cities grow and how housing is planned and delivered. In the context of housing and urban development, this work includes: 

  • Providing technical assistance to support the development of national urban and housing policy frameworks.
  • Supporting spatial planning processes that guide more sustainable and inclusive urban expansion.
  • Promoting the integration of housing with water and sanitation infrastructure within broader city development frameworks.

Together, these interventions create conditions that allow affordable and secure housing to expand over time, reducing reliance on informal settlements and lowering vulnerability to displacement.

Measured Impact and Policy Outcomes

Through collaboration with the Government of Guinea-Bissau, UN-Habitat supported the development of the Bissau 2030 Sustainable Development Plan, which outlines a long-term strategy for inclusive urban development. The framework prioritizes infrastructure provision and more effective land-use governance in low-income areas where housing insecurity remains most pronounced.

By directing attention toward informal and underserved neighborhoods, the plan targets communities most exposed to housing insecurity. Its emphasis on improved planning and infrastructure provision is intended to reduce environmental risk and support more stable patterns of residential development. This approach aligns with World Bank analysis showing that deficits in basic infrastructure and service access in Guinea-Bissau compound exposure to shocks and restrict access to health and education—conditions that make housing instability harder to escape.

Why Housing-Led Approaches Are Effective

Homelessness in Guinea-Bissau remains a significant development challenge. However, housing-led initiatives demonstrate how coordinated urban planning, policy reform and infrastructure investment can strengthen urban stability. By addressing the structural conditions that produce housing insecurity, these interventions support healthier, more resilient communities and contribute to sustainable poverty reduction in one of the world’s most fragile economies. 

– Kira Rai

Kira is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Homelessness in Palau: Providing Affordable Housing

Homelessness in PalauThe microstate of Palau faces several obstacles on the path to housing security and affordability. Still, there have been successful efforts towards this goal and in preventing homelessness in Palau.

Challenges to Palau

Palau faces numerous challenges to its socioeconomic stability. The COVID-19 pandemic presented setbacks to the country’s economy, one that centers largely on tourism. According to the Palau government’s Development Plan for 2023-2026, rising costs of construction materials and an unequal growth between incomes and housing prices make it harder to afford a home in Palau, especially amidst high demand. Additionally, land disputes resulting in displacement complicate matters of housing security.

Micronesian states like Palau are also highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of changing weather, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events. This is innately threatening to economic and housing stability, as changing weather patterns and homelessness have innate links.

Successes and Setbacks

According to the 2015 Pacific Regional MDG tracking report, there are no recorded informal settlements or squatters in Palau. This can indicate a lack of a significant homeless population in the state.

There are several programs and efforts to maintain access to affordable housing and prevent homelessness in Palau. Organizations like the Palau Housing Authority (PHA) and Housing Development Loan Program (HDLP) work to support those struggling to afford housing.

 The Palau Housing Authority (PHA) provides low-income housing for families in Palau. According to the Island Times of Palau, last year the PHA was able to supply two home renovations and six new homes with $500,000 from the state’s supplemental budget. However, the PHA hopes for consistent annual funding from the Palau government in order to meet increasing demand for affordable housing. As of March 2025, the organization is facing financial shortfalls and struggling to repay loans amid increasing repayment costs. The organization has requested funding from numerous sources, including the Palau government, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture.

The Housing Development Loan Program is a $15 million program that originated in 2019 as the Palau government’s response to the worsening housing crisis in the state. According to the Island Times of Palau, this program resulted in the purchase of 36 homes as of 2020. Of the 36, two were displaced persons. Several states in Palau have requested funds for infrastructure for necessities like roads, power and water, that will allow for further housing projects to be completed.

Palau in a Global Context

Statistics for countries worldwide indicate Palau does relatively well in terms of human development and poverty rates, which suggests low rates of homelessness in Palau. While considered a developing country, Palau is upper-middle-income, according to the U.N. Micronesia Palau National Study. According to UNICEF, data estimates from 2006 indicate approximately 25% of the population in Palau lives below the national poverty line. This is significantly lower than the countries hardest hit by poverty, including South Sudan with a rate of 82%, according to the World Bank.  

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a measure for progress in major areas of human development, including a decent standard of living. According to U.N. Human Development Reports, Palau’s HDI score of 0.786 ranks it high amongst countries around the globe. While it rose steadily since the year 2000, it decreased in the years following 2019. This is likely in part due to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had adverse impacts on Palau, a country whose economy relies heavily on tourism. The HDI score has remained steady since 2022.

– Emma Kelsey

Emma is based in St. Paul, MN, US and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Cartolandia: Tijuana’s Town Made of Carton

Cartolandia: Tijuana's Town Made of CartonIn the bustling metropolis of Tijuana, Mexico — where high-rise buildings, statued roundabouts and a large soccer stadium mark the skyline — a dirt road leads to a community built from cardboard. Its official name is Nueva Esperanza, which translates to New Hope. However, many locals refer to it as Cartolandia, or the Land of Cardboard. Within the developed city of Tijuana, the neighborhood functions almost independently, with its own homes, school and barbershops built from cardboard and other discarded materials.

Cartolandia’s Story

Cartolandia has been present in Tijuana since the 1950s. Most of these inhabitants were impoverished migrants from the southern parts of Mexico looking for higher wages. By the 1970s, Cartolandia had expanded to 1,000 recorded homes. Tijuana was experiencing a severe flooding crisis and this affected Cartolandia residents. Cartolandia was originally located in what is now Zona Río, a profitable area near the United States (U.S.) border. Under Gov. Milton Castellanos’ Todo por Nuevo Tijuana (Anything for a New Tijuana) project, the army raided and destroyed Cartolandia.  

With Cartolandia destroyed, the government was able to build the giant canal, which is protecting the city from future floods. Zona Rio, a profitable area due to its proximity to the U.S., is an affluent, popular and industrial area filled with theaters, restaurants and medical services serving not only Mexicans but also Americans. Yet, the people who once lived in Cartolandia were left homeless and unprotected. A new Cartolandia was established in Cañon del Padre, Tijuana, next to an Amazon warehouse. 

Amazon and Cartolandia’s Fame

The placement of a billion-dollar company’s warehouse next to a cardboard town experiencing extreme poverty drew strong backlash in 2021. Many viewed the plant and the town’s proximity as a contradiction and a clear depiction of global economic inequality. In response to the criticism, the Amazon plant removed its logo from the front of the building and temporarily closed. 

Cartolandia lacks paved roads, a reliable water supply and basic security. Reports suggest that police may not arrive until the next day after a robbery. The community has no plumbing system and only one school, leaving many basic needs unmet.

Looking Ahead

Residents of Cartolandia argue that Amazon should invest in the town by donating money, saying a billion-dollar company can afford to aid its workers living in extreme poverty. UCSD researcher Teddy Cruz and many in Tijuana also believe the responsibility lies with the government. Many nonprofits from both the U.S. and Mexico have taken action through donations and volunteer work. Notably, UniSocial and Los Niños de la Calle con Wendy have organized events and donated toys to the town’s children during the holiday season.

Cartolandia is a place where people without the economic resources to rent a property build their own homes out of cardboard or other found materials. The town has moved around in Tijuana since its beginnings in the 1950s. It seems like economic challenges still persist and that every time that Cartolandia almost disappears, it remerges in a new place in the city. From this, the answer is not to push away the town, but rather to create economic growth opportunities for the people of Nueva Esperanza.

– Andrea Roji

Andrea is based in San Diego, CA, USA and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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An Inside Look at Homelessness in New Caledonia

Homelessness in New CaledoniaWith crystal-clear blue waters, white sand beaches and lush pine forests, New Caledonia seems like a picture-perfect island getaway. However, beneath its stunning facade lies a drastic social divide that has led to widespread poverty and homelessness for the indigenous residents of New Caledonia.

Meet the Kanaks

Today, New Caledonia is a French territory made up of dozens of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, known for its stunning lagoons, abundant nickel reserves and diverse wildlife. But centuries before the first tourists came to explore its vibrant coastlines and reefs, Kanaks inhabited the nation.

The Kanaks are an indigenous group with customs deeply rooted in Melanesian culture. The early Kanak lifestyle largely revolved around tribal relations and farming the land, commonly harvesting native crops such as bananas, yams and sweet potatoes. However, European settlers, who first arrived in the late 18th century and increased significantly during the nickel boom of the 1960s, disrupted their peaceful existence.

Life for the c

Within a period of less than 200 years, the Kanak saw their land being taken away and opportunities for economic development severely limited. Homelessness in New Caledonia, particularly for indigenous groups like the Kanak, increased exponentially due to bias from European settlers. Examples of this discriminatory behavior include the French government barring the Kanaks from living in the capital city of Nouméa and denying them government roles in favor of their French counterparts.

Over time, unfair laws like these decreased quality of life for the Kanaks. While the Kanak are the largest ethnic group in New Caledonia, European migrants own approximately two-thirds of the land. Additionally, the poverty rate among indigenous Kanaks is 32.5%, which is nearly four times higher than that of non-Kanak people, as reported by Swissinfo, a Switzerland-based international news corporation.

Homelessness Among the Kanaks

While there is not an exact number for the rate of homelessness in New Caledonia, it presents a pressing issue for countless modern-day Kanaks. According to Le Monde Diplomatique, a French political newspaper, close to 10,000 Kanaks currently live in “squats” in the city of Noúmea, which are crude huts that lack water and electricity.

 In rural villages, where the majority of Kanaks live, housing is similarly lacking. Families often reside in cramped government-subsidized housing or traditional huts, which cultivate a sense of closeness and community as they go about their day-to-day life.

As opposed to city-going Kanaks, who often work laborious service jobs to make a living, rural Kanaks start their day early to fish and harvest crops. After a  communal prayer, which draws from both Catholic and indigenous faith, the family comes together to dine on seafood, root vegetables and tropical fruit. The rest of the day is spent completing essential tasks, with men hunting and fishing and women cleaning and caring for children.

While the rural Kanaks’ daily routine has remained unchanged through centuries of colonization and industrialization, recent events threaten to end their traditional lifestyle. An increase in urban development that prioritizes French citizens over Kanaks is forcing many indigenous citizens into homelessness and poverty, necessitating immediate action.

A Brighter Future 

Homelessness suffered by the indigenous residents of New Caledonia is not going unnoticed. In 2019, politician Milakulo Tukumuli founded the Oceanian Awakening political party, whose goals include providing adequate housing to the squatters in Noúmea and closing the wealth gap between the rich and poor. Since its inception, it has secured three of the 54 seats in the New Caledonian Congress, demonstrating a promising outlook for minority rights in national politics.

As the Oceanian Awakening party continues to gain more influence, the French government is also looking for ways to collaborate with Kanak natives to resolve housing issues. Urban planning experts Céline Cassourret and Irène Salenson suggest that French government officials and Kanak cultural leaders work together to equally redistribute land. By giving Kanaks the territory and funds needed to build adequate housing, the nation can effectively resolve land tenure inequality and eliminate Kanak homelessness.

On a larger scale, action is occurring to secure rights for the Kanak community and other indigenous groups in the Pacific. Mark Brown, the chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), stated that he supports the movement to obtain “greater autonomy and independence” for native New Caledonians. Given the PIF’s role as an influential peacekeeping force for islands in the southwest Pacific, their ongoing support will hopefully encourage nearby territories to advocate for Kanak rights.

Looking Ahead

One can trace homelessness in New Caledonia, particularly in minority groups such as the Kanak, back to colonial-era discrimination and suppression. However, with support from neighboring islands, land redistribution and advocacy for Kanak rights, it is possible to right the wrongs for the indigenous peoples. Reform is on the horizon for the citizens of New Caledonia, and it has the potential to change countless lives for the better.

– Grace Gonzalez

Grace is based in Oakton, VA, USA and focuses on Business and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Mercy Rescue Trust: Foster to Forever Family

Mercy Rescue Trust: Foster to Forever FamilyWorldwide, 16.6 million children under 18 have lost one or both parents to HIV; 90% of these orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, about 53 million children in this region had lost one or both parents. According to UNICEF, Kenya alone has approximately 2.08 million orphans. Previous estimates reveal that about 3.6 million children in Kenya are orphaned or vulnerable, comprising nearly one-fifth of the country’s population under 18 years old. To combat this, Mercy Rescue Trust, a rescue center based in Kitale, Kenya, finds homes for abandoned babies and young children. The organization aims to protect children in vulnerable situations by providing medical care, shelter and long-term support.

Mercy Rescue Trust’s Mission in Kenya

Financial challenges and family instability in Kenya have led to severe neglect and abandonment of many infants. With limited social support systems, children often endure harmful conditions, suffering from malnutrition and poor physical and emotional health. Rescuers find many in life-threatening situations and bring them to Mercy Rescue Trust, where doctors conduct comprehensive health screenings to detect diseases or health risks caused by exposure to unsafe environments. Once medically stable, children enter temporary foster care with local families who provide a nurturing environment until a permanent home becomes available. If a child requires emergency medical care, doctors oversee their treatment until they recover.

From Rescue to Reunification and Adoption

After rescuing an infant, Mercy Rescue Trust searches for biological family members and prioritizes reunification whenever possible. To support successful reintegration, the organization provides regular meals and financial assistance for education, increasing the child’s chances of thriving in their home. If reunification does not work, the child remains in temporary foster care while Mercy Rescue Trust arranges a permanent, loving home. The adoption process follows strict guidelines to ensure each child finds a secure and nurturing environment. Social workers follow up regularly to monitor the child’s development and well-being after placement.

The Role of Foster Families in Child Welfare

Mercy Rescue Trust emphasizes a family-centered approach by placing children in local, family-based foster care rather than institutional orphanages. Foster families, often volunteers, provide infants with a stable home environment during this transitional period. Since its inception, Mercy Rescue Trust has placed more than 400 children in homes, including 269 with local foster families and reunited 114 with their biological families. Foster care gives infants the emotional security needed to rebuild trust and recover from trauma. Living in a home-like environment allows them to develop attachments, experience daily routines and build a sense of stability, making their transition to a permanent family much smoother.

Emergency Care and Community Support

Mercy Rescue Trust operates a 24-hour emergency care center where medical professionals provide immediate care to rescued infants. These services depend on donations that fund food, medical care and education programs for children in need. The organization also welcomes volunteers, photographers and supporters to help raise awareness and expand outreach efforts.

Looking Ahead

Mercy Rescue Trust continues to rescue, protect and advocate for vulnerable children, ensuring they receive the care, stability and opportunities they deserve. Furthermore, by prioritizing family-based care, education and long-term support, the organization is working to break the cycle of abandonment and poverty, providing children with a path to a brighter future.

– Jennifer Cermak

Jennifer is based in Ontario, Canada and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Homelessness in Tuvalu

Homelessness in TuvaluTuvalu, a small nation of islands in the South Pacific, has a population of approximately 10,000 inhabitants as of 2023. Often referred to as “the disappearing nation,” Tuvalu faces existential threats from rising sea levels and changing climatic conditions, which profoundly affect housing stability and community resilience. Homelessness in Tuvalu is not just a housing crisis—it is a looming humanitarian emergency. As rising sea levels threaten to submerge entire islands, the risk of displacement grows.

Environmental Vulnerabilities

Tuvalu’s geographical characteristics make it particularly susceptible to natural disasters, which can lead to displacement and homelessness. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 2006, homelessness levels in Tuvalu were 3.8 times higher than in other developing countries, primarily due to natural disasters, financial hardship and limited opportunities.

The country’s low-lying atolls are increasingly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate emergency. These environmental challenges threaten housing stability and have already displaced some communities. In neighboring Pacific regions, entire populations have been forced to relocate due to these environmental threats, foreshadowing the potential risks for Tuvalu.

Economic and Social Factors

Tuvalu’s high cost of living amplifies financial struggles for many families, making it difficult to afford necessities such as food, health care, and education. According to the Asian Development Bank, Tuvalu had an unemployment rate of 7.9% in 2022, further limiting economic opportunities. Additionally, the World Bank reported that in 2019, 3.6% of Tuvalu’s population lived below the international threshold of $2.15 per day, highlighting the financial vulnerability of low-income households.

The government has recognized these economic hardships and is actively addressing the root causes. Efforts include reviewing taxation, price control regulations and the costs of essential commodities and services. Community-driven solutions, such as TANGO, cooperative savings initiatives and grassroots organizations, also significantly alleviate financial hardship, offering localized economic support and alternative income-generating opportunities.

Government and International Initiatives

To mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, Tuvalu has accessed financial assistance through the Pacific Disaster Resilience Program, securing $3 million in January 2020 and an additional $4 million in November 2022. These funds aim to strengthen disaster resilience and support recovery efforts. Furthermore, international partnerships like the United Nations (U.N.) and the Pacific Community continue to aid climate adaptation and community housing projects, ensuring that the people of Tuvalu have the resources to sustain their livelihoods amid environmental challenges.

Conclusion

Homelessness in Tuvalu is deeply intertwined with environmental vulnerabilities, economic pressures and evolving social dynamics. However, the heart of Tuvalu remains its resilient communities, who, despite mounting challenges, continue to foster support networks and advocate for sustainable solutions. Addressing homelessness in Tuvalu requires a collective approach, combining government initiatives, international aid and community-driven strategies to secure a stable and hopeful future for all Tuvaluans.

– Arianna Distefano

Arianna is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash