Problems in translating NGO successes into government settlement policy: illustrations from Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica describes the case of Sou-Sou Land, a non-government programme that developed many new settlements for low-income households 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 wider region.