GOAL: The goal of any USAID/OFDA Shelter and Settlements (S&S) activity will be occupancy
of covered living space that can serve as minimally adequate shelter for disaster/crisis affected populations in an expeditious and appropriate manner.
APPROACH: USAID/OFDA emphasizes the use of market-based assessments of damage and
need to better gauge impacts, resources, and opportunities in disaster/crisis affected areas.
The core target group of proposed actions will be the most vulnerable among affected
populations. Provision of support to this group may require technical assistance, rather than a
reliance on self-help capacity.
Shelter will be adequate, habitable, safe, private, and secure, cognizant of Sphere Project and USAID/OFDA guidelines, and the related, possible need to engage in disaster risk reduction.
Where possible and appropriate, USAID/OFDA will emphasize community-based approaches and reliance on local materials and labor, to enhance prospects for sustainability, cost effectiveness, and livelihood generation. USAID/OFDA will, therefore, support shelter sector interventions that feature a settlements approach, thereby permitting identification of, and linkages with, other sectors, particularly agriculture and food security, livelihoods, WASH, and protection.
Shelter sector interventions will be designed to facilitate or “jump-start” the recovery of
affected populations by emphasizing transitions to longer-term housing.