Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF)

CLIFF (Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility) helps low-income communities in Asia and Africa access affordable housing. Instead of giving one-off grants, it supports local organisations to offer loans, buy land, and build homes. CLIFF believes the urban poor are worth investing in and that they can repay loans if given fair opportunities.
Run by Reall (UK-based), CLIFF gives its local partners training, funding, and long-term support. These partners help build affordable homes and essential services like water and sanitation. The programme works like a social venture capital model—proving housing projects are viable, which attracts private and government investment.
Since 2010, CLIFF has supported over 70 projects in 14 countries. It has built over 10,000 homes and improved living conditions for thousands more through sanitation projects. In Nepal, for example, CLIFF’s partner LUMANTI has secured 80% of project funding from local banks.
CLIFF is funded mainly by UK and Swedish aid. It starts by giving grants to build local capacity and later switches to recoverable loans. Many partners are now financially stable and can manage projects without ongoing aid.
The programme also helps communities influence government housing policies, promotes women’s leadership, and supports people with disabilities. It encourages eco-friendly building techniques, like using mud bricks and solar energy.
Challenges include weak local governments and mistrust of international organisations. Yet, CLIFF is proving that poor communities can repay loans and build successful housing projects.
CLIFF is growing steadily, transferring skills between countries and aiming for long-term financial independence for its partners. It’s seen as a model that bridges the gap between charity and market-based housing solutions.