Reall has worked in the Philippines since 2007, in partnership with Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives (PACSII) and LinkBuild.

The Philippines faces a severe housing crisis, UN-Habitat estimate that the housing backlog in the Philippines is expected to rise dramatically from 6.5 million in 2022 to an estimated 22 million by 2040 if current trends continue. Additionally, around 4 million people live in informal settlements, often in overcrowded and hazardous conditions, particularly in urban centres like Manila, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. These communities not only lack safe shelter but also suffer from inadequate access to basic services including sanitation, clean water, and electricity, highlighting the urgent need for scalable, inclusive housing solutions.

Reall’s work in the Philippines has involved 12 projects supporting help low-income populations across the country. With PACSII this has provided227 homes, and 296 affordable plots. These projects include the incremental housing and upgrading project SJBBNAI, where collective savings of its 30 members acquired a loan from a large commercial bank to buy a plot of land in 2005; upon loan repayment, residents were able to start a progressive community upgrading effort in partnership with Reall.

Reall’s work with LinkBuild has delivered 155 affordable homes for underserved populations. In 2018 they formed a partnership with the Davao City Local Government Unit and the Department for Education to deliver 15 homes for government school teachers who did not previously have access to decent homes.

Reall’s work in the Philippines demonstrates the power of community-led approaches and collaborative partnerships to deliver inclusive, affordable housing for underserved populations, even in highly challenging urban environments.