Urban Poor Associates

What Urban Poor Associates does

Urban Poor Associates (UPA) is a non-government organization registered with the Philippine government, established in 1992 and headquartered at 122-B Matahimik Street, Barangay UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City. It employs 17 staff and operates throughout the Philippines with a focus on urban poor communities in Metro Manila and other cities including Tacloban. UPA's mission is to work with urban poor communities and stakeholders to attain land tenure, housing, and basic services including jobs, health, and education; its stated vision is a just, humane, and democratic society where the urban poor are empowered and play an active role in decision-making.

UPA's core service lines are eviction crisis intervention, housing rights education, legal services, and community-based development. The organization operates a Quick Reaction Team deployed across the Philippines, runs the St. Thomas More Law Center for legal assistance (including test cases against violators of Section 28 of UDHA), maintains the 'Buhay Maralita' radio program, and produces educational materials such as the 'Ano ang Gagawin Kung May Demolisyon?' eviction manual (15,000+ copies distributed). It has organized and supports people's organizations including Kabalikat in BASECO (700 active member families), Samahang Maralita ng Isla Puting Bato Inc., and Samahang Matiisin Incorporated, each running programs in security of tenure, livelihood (HABI bags sold in Kultura boutiques and SM stores), education (EKK tutorial program), environment (mangrove rehabilitation, urban gardening), health, and savings schemes.

UPA's revenue model is non-commercial: as a non-profit, it does not charge beneficiaries for services and is funded through grants and partnerships with international development organizations and Catholic institutions, including Christian Aid, CCODP (Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace), Mercy Relief, MISEREOR, SELAVIP, the Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA), the Asian Development Bank, and Fair Travel Korea. The organization reports having helped over 50,000 families with relocation outcomes and has generated 1,000+ newspaper stories, 150 TV stories, and 850 radio interviews since founding. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Urban Poor Associates

Legal name

Urban Poor Associates

Website

https://urbanpoorassociates.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urban Poor Associates is a Philippine non-government organization founded in 1992 that educates urban poor communities on housing rights, intervenes in eviction crises, and runs community development programs including legal aid, water access, livelihood, and education through people's organizations in Metro Manila and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Housing Advocacy and Community Development

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

Keywords

• Housing rights advocacy
• Community development
• Eviction intervention
• Urban poor services
• Non-government organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Urban Poor Associates educates urban poor families on housing rights and intervenes in eviction crises by organizing communities to resist forcible evictions through legal action, church advocacy, media, and government negotiations. It runs the St. Thomas More Law Center for legal services, a poor people's water campaign for affordable piped water, and supports community-based livelihood, education, environmental, and savings programs through grassroots people's organizations.

Product overview

Urban Poor Associates (UPA) is a non-government organization (established 1992) focused on housing rights, eviction intervention, and community development for the urban poor in Metro Manila, Philippines. UPA offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including eviction crisis intervention services, housing rights education, legal services through the St. Thomas More Law Center, and a water campaign for affordable piped water. Community-based programs include Kabalikat (with livelihood products like HABI bags, tutorial programs, mangrove rehabilitation, and urban gardening), people's organizations in various communities (Samahang Maralita, Samahang Matiisin), disaster risk reduction management, and scholarship programs. The organization operates a Quick Reaction Team throughout the Philippines and engages in research and advocacy work monitoring evictions and housing law violations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eviction Crisis Intervention Services
• Housing Rights Education
• Quick Reaction Team
• St. Thomas More Law Center
• Water Campaign
• Research and Advocacy on Evictions
• Kabalikat Community Organization
• HABI Bags Livelihood Product
• Edukasyong Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran (EKK) Tutorial Program
• Mangrove Rehabilitation Project
• Urban Gardening Program
• Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM)
• Samahang Maralita ng Isla Puting Bato Inc.
• Samahang Matiisin Incorporated
• Tacloban Typhoon Yolanda Response Programs
• Scholarship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 50,000 families to relocate in-city, remain as they were, or find better relocation than government originally offered
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Malolos DiocesemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic diocese in the Philippines that UPA worked with on North and SouthRail eviction cases in the northern region.
• Holy Spirit SistersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReligious congregation partnering with UPA in Tacloban for feeding programs targeting 1,000 children affected by Typhoon Yolanda.
• LOCOA (Luzon Confederation of Urban Poor Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional coalition of urban poor organizations that UPA works closely with for advocacy and community organizing.
• April 30 Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 45 urban poor groups in Metro Manila that UPA helped form to work on land tenure security, evictions, basic services, and proclamations.
• Task Force on Housing Rights Along the RailwaysmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner that conducted surveys and participated in congressional hearings regarding North and South Rail eviction issues.
• St. Thomas More Law CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal service center initiated by UPA that provides legal assistance to the poor. Filed test cases in court against violators of Section 28 of UDHA.
• SALIGAN (Economic and Social Rights Legal Advocacy Center)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal advocacy organization that filed test cases against violators of housing rights laws in collaboration with UPA.
• Baseco Inter-agency Network (BIAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of agencies working in BASECO including UPA and Kabalikat. Collaborative work includes Bottom-up Budgeting, DRRM, community-based livelihood, and children's protection programs.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• SELAVIP: International organization funding housing for the poorest in the Global South; a core UPA funder and a peer in the housing-for-the-urban-poor niche.
• Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI): Filipino social-enterprise foundation funding community-based poverty programs including urban-poor organizing and housing — directly comparable in mission, geography, and beneficiary base.
• Karapatan: Philippine human-rights alliance advocating for civil, political, economic and social rights including housing rights — comparable to UPA's advocacy and UN-engagement work.
• Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA): Supports community-led housing and incremental-housing projects across Asia; partnered with UPA on the 207-family BASECO incremental-housing project, making it a closely aligned peer in the same niche.
• Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA): National coalition of human-rights NGOs engaged in policy advocacy and rights documentation — comparable to UPA's coalition-building (April 30 Working Group) and rights-advocacy model.
• Habitat for Humanity Philippines: Operates housing programs for low-income Filipino families, including incremental housing, community development, and disaster response — directly comparable to UPA's housing-rights and incremental-housing work in Metro Manila.

Broad incumbents

• MISEREOR: German Catholic bishops' development agency and UPA funder; comparable in supporting community-based urban-poor advocacy and rights-based programs across the Global South.
• Christian Aid (Philippines programme): International development NGO and UPA's largest core funder; operates across multiple sectors globally and runs a comparable rights-based programming approach in the Philippines.
• Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO): National coalition of Philippine development NGOs; comparable as a peer organization working with poor communities through member-NGO networks, including on housing and basic services.

Emerging players

• IBON Foundation: Philippine research and advocacy NGO producing policy analysis on poverty, housing and informal settlers — comparable on the advocacy/research axis though less focused on direct community organizing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/urbanpoorassociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-poor-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Poor Associates