With the contribution of 3 million rupees from the Municipality and equal amount of contribution from Lumanti Support Group for Shelter, a City Level Fund 'Urban Poor Support Fund' is established in Ratnanagar Municipality. The Executive Officer of Ratnanagar Municipality Narayan Prasad Pandey, on the Inaugural event of Laurighol Housing Program, has announced the establishment of Urban Poor Support Fund on 16 March 2015. 

 

The Urban Poor Support Fund is basically aimed to support the poor families of the urban poor communities in 

Ratnanagar to improve their living condition by providing soft loan to the through Akriti Women Saving and Credit Cooperative Limited, the only community managed women cooperative in the city.

 

The Chief Guest of the ceremony Member of Constituent Assembly Sabitri Chaudhary, after the inauguration of the constructed houses in Laurighol expressed her commitment to raise the voices for the housing rights and said the she would advocate for every possible support from her part.

 

Speaking on the same event, Executive Officer Pandey said, the housing program initiated by Ratnanagar Municipality in partnership with Lumanti in upgrading the informal settlements is one of the significant work done by the Municipality. On his remarks towards Lumanti's proposal to develop Ratnanagar as the Slum Free City, he said, Municipality would definitely initiate and process for the long term plan. He stressed the need of partnership and collaboration and he expressed his commitment for the improvement of living condition of the poor communities.

 

Executive Director of Lumanti, Lajana Manandhar, addressing the inaugural event urged the need of partnership and collaboration of all stakeholders including Municipality, Political Parties, private sectors, community federations and people of the community for improving the living condition of the poor people living in slums and informal settlements. Talking about the concept to develop Ratnanagar as a Slum Free City, she said, Lumanti is contributing for the improvement in slums and informal settlements in different citites of Nepal including Ratnanagar. Laurighol Housing in Ratnanagar is one of the housing projects initiated by Lumanti. She added, Lumanti is ready to join hands with Ratnanagar Municipality and other stakeholders to make the city Slum Free. Executive Director Manandhar, on her remarks, enforced the need of raising the voices for the housing as the fundamental rights in the new constitution for improving the living condition of the poor people and also appealed CA Member Sabitri Chaudhary for her effective role for raising the voice in the constituent assembly.

 

Laurighol Housing Program was initiated by Lumanti in partnership with Ratnanagar Municipality in 2012. During this period, 32 houses were constructed through soft loan support. Lumanti has invested 3.1 million rupees through Akriti Women Saving and Credit Cooperative Limited – the community led women cooperative promoted by Lumanti. The other infrastructure development including road expansion and land management is supported by Ratnanagar Municipality. Ratnanagar Water and Sanitation Users Committee has extended the water pipeline in the community.