Challenges
In Kailali and Kanchanpur, many households live in substandard homes without secure land tenure, leaving families vulnerable to eviction, poverty and limited livelihood options. Many reside in informal settlements or on plots too small to support income-generating activities.
Marginalized groups — including Kamaiya, Kamlari, Haliya, Dalit communities and women-headed households — face the greatest barriers due to unsafe housing, limited access to government programs and low awareness of land rights.
Only 35% of Dalit households live in structurally safe homes, over 36% live in extreme poverty and women own just 15.7% of property within Dalit households. Nationally, 1.3 million households are landless or informal settlers, including 251,766 who are entirely landless.
Low land literacy further exposes families to insecurity — many are unaware of land categories, entitlement procedures, or how to claim rights. Weak governance and poor coordination among authorities increase the risk of forced eviction and long-term instability.
In Kailali and Kanchanpur, many households live in substandard homes without secure land tenure, leaving families vulnerable to eviction, poverty and limited livelihood options. Many reside in informal settlements or on plots too small to support income-generating activities.
Marginalized groups — including Kamaiya, Kamlari, Haliya, Dalit communities and women-headed households — face the greatest barriers due to unsafe housing, limited access to government programs and low awareness of land rights.
Only 35% of Dalit households live in structurally safe homes, over 36% live in extreme poverty and women own just 15.7% of property within Dalit households. Nationally, 1.3 million households are landless or informal settlers, including 251,766 who are entirely landless.
Low land literacy further exposes families to insecurity — many are unaware of land categories, entitlement procedures, or how to claim rights. Weak governance and poor coordination among authorities increase the risk of forced eviction and long-term instability.
Solution
This project will strengthen housing and land rights for marginalized communities in Sudurpaschim Province, ensuring that freed Kamaiya, Kamlari, Haliya, Dalit, and women headed households gain a voice in local decision making, improve their land literacy, and access safe housing. Working closely with local governments in Kailali and Kanchanpur, the project will help improve housing policies and land rights systems, creating a more inclusive and equitable path to tenure security.
Our approach:
- Use participatory methods, such as Transect Walks and Participatory Policy Analysis, to generate community-driven evidence and document housing and land challenges in 10 communities. Insights will guide local government planning.
- Establish a dedicated Policy Lab within the Chief Minister’s Office to serve as a hub for research, innovation, and policy guidance. 6 local researchers will study housing and land issues and share recommendations with provincial authorities. The lab will also support provincial housing strategy and improve inclusive planning.
- 25 community leaders to conduct training of 1,000 residents on land rights, documentation, and joint land ownership. Radio programs and printed guides will help reach more people and increase awareness.
- Conduct community and provincial dialogues to ensure local voices influence housing policies. Dialogues on Policy Advocacy Strategy with 40 policymakers and 6 annual advocacy meetings will ensure decisions and resources reflect the needs of marginalized communities.
- Conduct community training and media outreach to build land literacy and empower households to understand and claim their housing and land rights.
Timescale: The project will be completed within 12 months.
This project will strengthen housing and land rights for marginalized communities in Sudurpaschim Province, ensuring that freed Kamaiya, Kamlari, Haliya, Dalit, and women headed households gain a voice in local decision making, improve their land literacy, and access safe housing. Working closely with local governments in Kailali and Kanchanpur, the project will help improve housing policies and land rights systems, creating a more inclusive and equitable path to tenure security.
Our approach:
- Use participatory methods, such as Transect Walks and Participatory Policy Analysis, to generate community-driven evidence and document housing and land challenges in 10 communities. Insights will guide local government planning.
- Establish a dedicated Policy Lab within the Chief Minister’s Office to serve as a hub for research, innovation, and policy guidance. 6 local researchers will study housing and land issues and share recommendations with provincial authorities. The lab will also support provincial housing strategy and improve inclusive planning.
- 25 community leaders to conduct training of 1,000 residents on land rights, documentation, and joint land ownership. Radio programs and printed guides will help reach more people and increase awareness.
- Conduct community and provincial dialogues to ensure local voices influence housing policies. Dialogues on Policy Advocacy Strategy with 40 policymakers and 6 annual advocacy meetings will ensure decisions and resources reflect the needs of marginalized communities.
- Conduct community training and media outreach to build land literacy and empower households to understand and claim their housing and land rights.
Timescale: The project will be completed within 12 months.
Results and benefits
The project will directly benefit 1,000 community members through land literacy training, providing them with knowledge and skills to understand and assert their housing and land rights.
Advocacy and policy reforms resulting from participatory evidence generation and multi-level dialogues will indirectly reach approximately 190,000 people, including marginalized Dalit communities, by influencing housing and land policies across the two targeted districts.
Communities will gain ownership over the planning and implementation of evidence-based reforms, while local capacity will be strengthened to sustain land rights awareness and ensure that policy changes reflect the needs of the most vulnerable.
The project will directly benefit 1,000 community members through land literacy training, providing them with knowledge and skills to understand and assert their housing and land rights.
Advocacy and policy reforms resulting from participatory evidence generation and multi-level dialogues will indirectly reach approximately 190,000 people, including marginalized Dalit communities, by influencing housing and land policies across the two targeted districts.
Communities will gain ownership over the planning and implementation of evidence-based reforms, while local capacity will be strengthened to sustain land rights awareness and ensure that policy changes reflect the needs of the most vulnerable.
Long-term impact
Communities in Sudurpaschim Province will gain stronger housing and land rights, especially freed Kamaiya, Kamlari, Haliya and Dalit groups.
Land literacy and participatory advocacy will empower households to claim their rights and reduce eviction risks.
The institutionalized Policy Lab will embed evidence-based decision-making in provincial governance, ensuring marginalized voices shape policies and resource allocation.
These reforms will promote equitable housing, social inclusion and lasting benefits for the wider population.
Communities in Sudurpaschim Province will gain stronger housing and land rights, especially freed Kamaiya, Kamlari, Haliya and Dalit groups.
Land literacy and participatory advocacy will empower households to claim their rights and reduce eviction risks.
The institutionalized Policy Lab will embed evidence-based decision-making in provincial governance, ensuring marginalized voices shape policies and resource allocation.
These reforms will promote equitable housing, social inclusion and lasting benefits for the wider population.
Scale-up
With additional co-funding, this project could reach more marginalized families in Kailali and Kanchanpur, strengthening housing and land rights, and supporting inclusive governance. Please get in touch to request a detailed proposal.
With additional co-funding, this project could reach more marginalized families in Kailali and Kanchanpur, strengthening housing and land rights, and supporting inclusive governance. Please get in touch to request a detailed proposal.
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When you co-fund a project, you help transform lives. By building housing, we build beyond the physical homes: adequate living conditions have a powerful impact on the livelihoods, health, education and more of households and communities.
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Half of the global population living in poverty resides in Asia and the Pacific. To help address these issues, Build Beyond funds locally led initiatives to transform lives through improved housing conditions.