Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia

What Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia does

Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia (CFHHZ) is a Lusaka-headquartered, membership-based non-profit civil society organisation founded in 2010 and operating in seven of Zambia's ten provinces. It serves rural and urban marginalised poor communities — including women, girls, orphans, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV and AIDS, and peri-urban informal settlement dwellers — through a dual programme model that combines grassroots capacity building with policy advocacy. Its work is organised under three pillars: Adequate Housing and WASH; Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion; and Land, Environment and Climate Change.

CFHHZ's core offerings include the annual Zambia Housing Symposium (running since 2012 and credited with influencing the 2020 National Housing Policy and 2021 National Land Policy), the Stabilised Soil-Block (SSB) building technology promoted in partnership with the University of Zambia's Technology Development Advisory Unit (TDAU) — an alternative construction method that cuts building costs by more than 30% — the Twalakula Cooperative Housing Fund for affordable housing finance, the Women Empowerment Micro Small Enterprise Support Project (WEMSES) delivered with We Effect, Study Circle training materials on cooperative development, VSLA, GBV awareness, and entrepreneurship, and a youth-led waste management and recycling programme active in four peri-urban communities. Documented outcomes include over K338,000 saved by 38 women of Mandevu constituency and Kabanana Housing Cooperative, with members purchasing land from savings and proceeding to housing construction.

CFHHZ is funded primarily through donor grants and partnerships (including We Effect, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the University of Zambia's TDAU, Zambian Breweries' Manja Pamodzi initiative, and the Millennium Development Challenge), and delivers all services free of charge to beneficiaries. The organisation operates with a small staff of 7 and distributes its programmes through housing cooperatives, community savings and loans groups, and youth groups as the primary delivery mechanism.

Name

Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia

Legal name

Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia

Website

https://civicforum.org.zm

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia is a Lusaka-based non-profit civil society organisation founded in 2010 that serves marginalised rural and urban communities across seven of Zambia's ten provinces through housing cooperatives, WASH programmes, economic empowerment, and climate resilience initiatives, funded primarily by donor grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Housing Advocacy and Community Development Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Climate Finance Strategy (CapEx planning, green finance, incentives & grants) (EUABAKAG)

Keywords

• Housing advocacy services
• Community development programs
• Affordable housing delivery
• Land tenure rights
• Civil society organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor and Grant Funding: CFHHZ operates as a non-profit membership-based organisation and appears to be primarily funded through donor partnerships and grant programmes. It has received support from organisations such as We Effect for the Women Empowerment Micro Small Enterprise Support Project (WEMSES).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CFHHZ is a membership-based non-profit civil society organisation that delivers free housing, WASH, economic empowerment, and climate resilience programmes to marginalised rural and urban poor communities across seven of Zambia's ten provinces. Its core offerings centre on three pillars — Adequate Housing and WASH, Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion, and Land Environment and Climate Change — delivered through housing cooperatives, savings and loans groups, and youth networks, supplemented by policy advocacy, the Zambia Housing Symposium, and the SSB alternative building technology.

Product overview

Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia (CFHHZ) operates as a civil society organization offering a portfolio of advocacy programs, capacity building services, and knowledge products rather than a commercial software product. The organization is structured around three interconnected pillars: Adequate Housing and WASH (providing community-led housing support, slum upgrading, and sanitation services), Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion (offering the Twalakula cooperative housing fund, VSLA training, and WEMSES project support), and Land Environment and Climate Change (delivering climate resilient housing training and sustainable land management). Key offerings include the annual Zambia Housing Symposium platform, Stabilised Soil-Block building technology in partnership with University of Zambia's TDAU, Study Circle training materials on cooperative development, VSLA, GBV, and entrepreneurship, and research publications documenting housing and habitat conditions in Zambia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adequate Housing and WASH Program A core programme pillar providing access to decent, affordable, adequate housing and auxiliary services through community-led housing cooperatives and savings groups, targeted at marginalised rural and urban poor communities in Zambia.
• Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion Program A core programme pillar delivering capacity building in enterprise development and financial management, financial inclusion linkages, and access to affordable housing finance through the Twalakula cooperative housing fund for vulnerable community members.
• Land, Environment and Climate Change Program A core programme pillar building climate resilience among target communities through training on climate resilient housing and infrastructure, sustainable land use management, and environmental management practices.
• Zambia Housing Symposium An annual platform hosted by CFHHZ since 2012 that convenes rights holders, duty bearers, and stakeholders to discuss housing and habitat challenges, contributing to national housing and land policy reforms.
• Women Empowerment Micro Small Enterprise Support Project (WEMSES) A women and youth economic empowerment initiative implemented in partnership with We Effect that supports micro and small enterprises through training, mentorship, and market linkages for women and youth entrepreneurs.
• Twalakula Cooperative Housing Fund A cooperative housing fund that facilitates access to affordable housing funds from financial markets, national governments, and housing savings schemes at lower interest rates to accelerate housing delivery for cooperative members.
• Stabilised Soil-Block (SSB) Building Technology An environmentally friendly alternative building method using portable machines produced by University of Zambia's TDAU that uses soil stabilised with cement, cutting building costs by more than 30% for community-led housing construction.
• Peri-Urban Waste Management and Recycling Initiative A community waste management and recycling initiative active in four peri-urban Lusaka communities (Bauleni, Chawama, Kanyama and Mtendere) that trains community youths on waste collection and recycling, with collected waste sold to recycling companies as an income-generating activity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over K338,000 saved by 38 women from Mandevu constituency and Kabanana Housing Cooperative
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Zambia OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2024Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Zambia Office organised the Kitwe Urban Development Forum with its Just City POA partners, including CFHHZ. The forum focused on the political economy of urban transformation and public service delivery to informal settlements in Kitwe. CFHHZ participated as an advocate for inclusive development.
• University of Zambia - Technology Development Advisory Unit (TDAU)coreTechnology or IntegrationTDAU produces portable machines for Stabilised Soil-Block (SSB) making technology which CFHHZ promotes among housing cooperatives. The technology uses soil stabilised with cement and cuts building costs by more than 30%. TDAU provides technical expertise and equipment that enables affordable housing construction.
• Manja Pamodzi (Zambian Breweries)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint waste management initiative with Manja Pamodzi of Zambian Breweries and Millennium Development Challenge to clean up Lusaka city. Youths in communities with a CFHHZ presence are trained on waste management and recycling. Waste is collected and sold to recycling companies enabling collectors to raise income.
• Millennium Development ChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint waste management initiative with Manja Pamodzi (Zambian Breweries) and CFHHZ to clean up Lusaka city. Supports training of community youths on waste management and recycling, with collected waste sold to recycling companies as an income-generating activity.
• Nkonka Women in AgribusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNkonka Women in Agribusiness organised the 8th International Women and Youths Exhibition at the Lusaka Showgrounds. CFHHZ beneficiary Timothy Siuluta gained visibility for his honey business at this exhibition, which brought together farmers, students, financial institutions, and agropreneurs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• We Effect: A Swedish development organisation supporting housing cooperatives and women's economic empowerment in Zambia and beyond. Listed as a current CFHHZ funding/partner under WEMSES, making it a closely aligned enabling partner rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity International: A global non-profit focused on adequate, affordable housing for low-income families through cooperative construction and financing models. Directly comparable to CFHHZ in mission, beneficiary focus, and support for housing cooperatives as the delivery vehicle.
• Slum Dwellers International: An international network of community-led organisations of the urban poor organised around savings groups, federations, and policy advocacy. Shares CFHHZ's community savings-led delivery model and rights-based approach to informal settlement upgrading.
• Rooftops Canada / Abri International: A Canadian cooperative housing NGO partnering with housing organisations across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Directly comparable in mission (supporting housing cooperatives and co-op capacity building) and geographic focus regions.
• Zambia Land Alliance: A Zambian civil society coalition advocating for equitable access to land and secure tenure. Directly comparable to CFHHZ's land tenure and housing-rights advocacy in the same Zambian context and overlapping member communities.

Broad incumbents

• UN-Habitat: The United Nations agency for sustainable urbanisation, housing, and adequate habitat standards. Sets the global normative framework that CFHHZ's advocacy work feeds into and is a major counterpart in Zambia's National Housing Policy process.
• Cities Alliance: A multi-donor UN-hosted partnership tackling urban poverty and slum upgrading at city scale. Operates in the same Zambian urban/habitat policy space as CFHHZ but functions as a broader convener and funding mechanism rather than direct service provider.

Regional players

• People's Dialogue: A South African federation of community savings groups, similar to the VSLA and housing cooperative model CFHHZ promotes. Comparable in methodology and community-led development approach, but primarily active in Southern Africa rather than Zambia specifically.

Emerging players

• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): A policy research and advocacy organisation supporting locally led climate adaptation, urban poverty, and land tenure work in low-income countries. Comparable to CFHHZ's research and evidence-based advocacy outputs around climate resilience and land tenure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CFHHZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfhhz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia