Supporting Displacement Affected Communities through holistic and integrated Housing, Land and Property soluti

Objectives

This project seeks to mitigate protection risks exacerbated by evictions through a wide of integrated prevention and response initiatives. It is also designed to increase access to information and specialised services, which displaced communities required to navigate administrative and procedural obstacles linked to the enjoyment and exercise of their HLP and other rights. This will also entail identifying pressing capacity gaps and supporting state institutions and administrative structures to systematically address HLP violations and contribute to social cohesion in target communities. The proposed action builds on NRC’s hands-on expertise in HLP programming in Somalia, and targeting 4030 households in Kismayo, the project seeks to enhance the protection of displaced affected communities HLP rights and to create an enabling environment for sustained recovery and the pursuit of long-lasting solutions. This overarching objective will be achieved by implementing a combination of complementary activities to reduce the practice of unlawful evictions, strengthen tenure security among displaced communities at the highest risk of eviction, and consolidate the protection of HLP rights. Priority actions include the following: - provision of reliable and up-to-date information and specialised services necessary to navigate administrative and procedural obstacles linked to the enjoyment and exercise of HLP rights - expanding access to tenure security through documentation and technical support monitoring and mapping of evictions trends - supporting the Kismayo Evictions Taskforce to lead in evictions response and programming and helping victims cope with post-eviction stress through cash - strengthening local dispute resolution capacities and fostering social cohesion in target communities - provision of legal counselling, assistance and representation - capacity-building trainings for rights holders, decision-makers and duty bearers on HLP and - advocacy and undertaking comprehensive assessments and surveys, leading to the development of action plans and informing planned relocations. The centrality of Housing, Land and Property (HLP) assistance is a key component to achieving lasting durable solutions for Displacement Affected Communities (DACs). Sustainable (re)integration remains unattainable without securing access to land, improving security of tenure and reducing the threat of evictions. Against this backdrop, there are multiple challenges linked to accessing HLP rights by DACs that exist. The HLP challenges are created by repeated, protracted displacement in urban areas exacerbated by the high demand (in the context of rapid urbanisation, investment and development) and skyrocketing land prices. This has been compounded by competing claims on land coupled with limited legal and policy frameworks around HLP rights, inadequate technical and functional capacities of state institutions, and weak mechanisms for resolving HLP disputes. Besides, DACs lack knowledge of their HLP rights and how to exercise them, and women’s access to HLP rights is adversely affected due to discriminatory customs.