Abstract
This paper describes the case of Sou-Sou Land, a non-government programme that developed many new settlements for low-income households in Trinidad and Tobago based upon community mobilization, self-help, appropriate standards and incremental development within the context of comprehensive settlements. It considers the NGO's effectiveness and the later problems in implementing its philosophy when its approach was accepted as state policy. Finally, it reviews the current relevance of the approach in the region including its relevance for a similar programme in Jamaica called Operation PRIDE (Programme for Resettlement and Integrated Development Enterprises). By way of introduction, the paper reviews the conditions in Trinidad and Tobago and parts of the English Caribbean that gave rise to the Sou-Sou Land movement.