· Started : 1998
· Total capital in fund : Riels 1.71 Billion (US$ 450,000)
· Source of capital : Contribution from SUPF Federation, grant from Municipality of Phnom Penh, Prime Minister’s monthly contribution, donors (Selavip, Homeless International, Misereor, Rausing, ACHR-TAP)
· Purpose of loans : Housing, land, income generation, environmental improvements, food production, emergencies
· Interest charged : 8% annually (for housing and land loans); 4% annually (for bulk income generation loans to district federations, which on-lend at 6 - 12%).
· Loans disbursed : Riels 2.3 billion (US$ 611,825)
· Loans repaid : Riels 714 million (US$ 187,782)
· Total Beneficiaries : 3,727 households
· How it works : UPDF makes housing, land purchase and food production loans directly to communities (not to individuals), after a consideration process by the district units of the UPDF’s CBO partner, the Solidarity and Urban Poor Federation. Community savings groups manage collection and repayment of loans. UPDF also makes bulk loans for income generation and grants for infrastructure projects to the federation’s district units, which on-lend to communities, which in turn on-lend to individuals. UPDF was established by an M.O.U. with the Municipality of Phnom Penh, and is governed by a mixed board (community leaders, Municipality, ACHR, NGOs, SDI).
· Operational costs : UPDF has only two full-time staff members and is assisted by volunteers from poor communities. The budget for all of UPDF’s administrative costs, staff salaries and development support activities is subsidized by a US$ 20,000 annual grant from ACHR (which includes donor funds from Homeless International, Misereor and ACHR-TAP).
