A meeting convened by SEVANATHA Urban Resource Center and Colombo Urban Lab with community leaders in Colombo took place on Friday, November 1, from 9:00 AM at the SLTC, Trace Expert City, Maradana, Colombo 10. About 30 community leaders participated, representing the residents of the settlements and apartments in Colombo city.

The primary objective of this program was to engage in a discussion of the available options for settlement development. During the meeting, the community leaders provided insights into their experiences regarding the government led resettlement process in the Colombo city. They also articulated their perspectives on the challenges and difficulties encountered by the community, as well as the favorable conditions that arose during this process. The individuals presented their perspectives regarding the social and economic challenges encountered by those who have been resettled in the newly built high – rise flats by the Urban Development Authority. They highlighted the obstruction of existing self-employment opportunities and income generation avenues, as well as issues related to public facilities and their upkeep. The challenges to the social security of women and children were highlighted in the discussion. The residents of the settlements mentioned their perspectives and identified the challenges they encountered, as well as proposed alternative strategies for the development of these settlements and communities.

The discussion highlighted that engaging the residents of Colombo and the local community can positively influence the resolution of the city’s housing issues in a sustainable way. It became evident that taking their opinions and alternative proposals into account will facilitate a successful upgrading of the settlement’s communities.

We express our sincere gratitude to Colombo Urban Lab, the community leaders of Colombo city and other participants for their valuable contribution to the success of this program.

@followers Colombo Urban Lab