SSB practice enables housing and small workplaces to be built with off grid solutions - no or reduced need for centralised power and water treatment and waste management utilities. This means that development can be faster.

The technologies are available now. With micro-finance, owners can afford aspects of a quality building with off grid utility solutions.

Larger scale finance is available through the UN’s Global Environment Fund, the Clean Development Mechanism and the Joint Initiative.

The SSB Urban Village project aims to bring together the UN funding mechanism, SSB practices, micro-finance and national or local governments to facilitate the development of communities in peri-urban and rural locations in developing economies.