HOUSING
INDEX
The
objective of the CASHPOR Group is reduction of poverty through the sustainable financial services to
poor women. Care is taken in identifying at village
level poor house holds, that are our potential clients.
If the work is not done properly much of our subsequent
efforts are wasted through leakage to the non-poor.
Generally, the poorer a household the more reluctant
is to borrow. They are worried about weekly repayment
and about what may happen to them if they can’t pay.
We
begin our work in villages that have a sufficient number
of poor households to make possible the establishment
of a full center, that is one with 15-20 poor women
each. As we expect only about half of the poor households
will become client, there should be at least forty
poor households in the village.
The CASHPOR Housing
Index is a cost effective method to identify poor households
through visual inspection from the road or lane outside
the house. It uses a points system that allocates a
predetermined number of points for each main component
of house e.g.its size, the material of roof and walls
and its structural condition. Points are allocated
according to the appropriate amount of investment required
to buy or build this particular component.
This
means that the index is locally determined and is weighted
towards the most expensive components of the house
in the local context.
The
points scored by any house are added into a total.
Each MFIP determines its own cut-off levels for points
scored on the House Index. Two cut-off levels are set.
Each house is then assigned according to the cut-off
points into three groups:
1.
Very poor
2.
Moderate Poor
3.
Non- poor
Each
house that scores below the cut-off point, as moderately
poor or very poor, is marked on a map of the village.
In the subsequent visit, the Branch Manager designate,
or one of his staff, will go first to each of the very
poor looking houses, introduce the program and administer
the assets test. If they are still eligible, he/she
will motivate them to join the program when groups
have been formed among the very poor and the center
has started to function, the moderately poor will be
interviewed and motivated.
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