Housing & CP Lecture 1 & 2

RCS
 Introduction: Housing- A Right
• According to noted psychologist Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of
Human Needs theory, a human being's need to belong in society is
third only to a person's physiological and safety needs.
• Classic social exclusion deprives certain individuals of the basic
human need of societal belonging as a result of economic status,
disability or circumstance which include race, religious belief,
gender, age etc.
• For an ordinary person, owning a house provides significant
economic and social security as well as a certain status in society.
• Housing is believed to be at the centre of an ensemble of life issues,
including the child’s right to be brought up in a safe environment.
• The rights to housing and security are seen to be inter-connected.
Housing is related to both of the foremost needs indicated by
Maslow.
 Introduction: Housing- A Right
• Access to safe & secure housing is a basic human right.
• Human rights are protected by a number of international human rights
treaties - International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) identifies and lists ‘Housing’ to be so.
• the goal of the ‘National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy’ (2007) of
India is stated as “.. to ensure sustainable development of all urban
human settlements, duly serviced by basic civic amenities for ensuring
better quality of life for all urban citizens…”,
• while its ‘focus areas’ include, inter alia, “provision of Affordable
Housing for All” with special emphasis on vulnerable sections of
society.
• The goal of providing affordable housing for all is not easily met
anywhere in the world and it is extremely difficult and beset with acute
problems in a country like India which is developing, second most
populous and continues to have a high rate of population growth &
urbanisation.
 Some Definitions
• House: A dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or
more families
However, [for census enumeration in India]
• Census House:
– A 'census house' is a building or part of a building used or
recognised as a separate unit because of having a separate
main entrance from the road or common courtyard or staircase,
etc.
– It may be occupied or vacant.
– It may be used for a residential or non-residential purpose or
both.
– If a building has a number of flats or blocks which are
independent of one another having separate entrances of their
own from the road or a common staircase of a common
courtyard leading to a main gate, these will be considered as
separate census houses.
 Some Definitions
• Housing: Structures collectively in which people are
housed
– As a concept it brings in the concept of sharing utility services &
facilities / amenities

• Utility Services related Physical Infrastructure:

Access roads, Water, Electricity, Storm & Waste Water
Drainage, Communication etc. networks, Cooking Gas
depot/ supply network, Solid Waste Disposal facilities/system

• Facilities / Amenities related Social / Physical Infrastructure:

Education, health, open spaces, religious & other
recreational, convenience shops, security etc….
 Some Definitions
• Household: [Census of India]
– A 'household' is usually a group of persons who normally live together
and take their meals from a common kitchen unless the exigencies of
work prevent any of them from doing so.
– Persons in a household may be related or unrelated or a mix of both.
– However, if a group of unrelated persons live in a census house but do
not take their meals from the common kitchen, then they are not
constituent of a common household. Each such person should be
treated as a separate household.
– The important link in finding out whether it is a household or not is a
common kitchen. There may be one member households, two member
households or multi-member households.
 
    In a few situations, it may be difficult to apply the definition of
household strictly as given above. For example, a persons living alone
in a census house, whether cooking or not cooking meals, will have to
be treated as a household. Similarly, if husband and wife or a group of
related persons are living together in a census house but not cooking
their meals will also constitute a normal household.
 Some Definitions
• Household: [Census of UK]
– One person or a group of people who have the accommodation as their
only or main residence
AND (for a group)
• either share at least one meal a day, or
• share the living accommodation, that is, a living room or sitting room
[The occupant(s) of a bedsit who does / do not share a sitting or
living room with anyone else comprise a single household]

• Institutional Household: [Census of India]

– A group of unrelated persons who live in an institution and take their
meals from a common kitchen is called an Institutional Household.
– Examples of Institutional Household are boarding houses, messes,
hostels, hotels, rescue homes, jails, ashrams, orphanages, etc.
 Some Definitions
• Communal Establishments [Census of UK]
[as compared to Institutional Household in India]
– Establishments providing managed residential
accommodation,
– are not counted in overall housing supply
– These cover university and college student, hospital
staff accommodation, hostels/homes, hotels/holiday
complexes, defense establishments (not married
quarters) and prisons.
– However, purpose-built (separate) homes (eg self-
contained flats clustered into units with 4 to 6
bedrooms for students) should be included. Each self-
contained unit should be counted as a dwelling.
 Some Definitions
• Dwelling: [Census of UK]
[a dwelling is defined (in line with the 2001 Census definition) as-]
• a self-contained unit of accommodation.
• Self-containment is where all the rooms (including kitchen,
bathroom and toilet) in a household's accommodation are behind a
single door which only that household can use.
• Non-self contained household spaces at the same address should
be counted together as a single dwelling.
• Therefore a dwelling can consist of one self-contained household
space or two or more non-self-contained household spaces at the
same address.
Ancillary dwellings (eg former 'granny annexes') are included
provided they are self-contained, pay separate council tax from the
main residence, do not share access with the main residence (eg a
shared hallway) and there are no conditional restrictions on
occupancy.
 Some Definitions [Census of India]
• Permanent House: [Pucca]
– Houses with wall and roof made of permanent materials. Wall can be G.
I., Metal, Asbestos sheets, Burnt bricks, Stone or Concrete. Roof can be
made of Tiles, Slate, G.I., Metal, Asbestos sheets, Brick, Stone or
Concrete
• Semi Permanent House: [Semi-Pucca]
– Either wall or roof is made of permanent material (and the other having
been made of temporary material
• Temporary House: [Kuchha]
– Houses with wall and roof made of temporary material. Wall can be
made of Grass, Thatch, Bamboo etc., Plastic, Polythene, Mud, Unburnt
brick or wood. Roof can be made of Grass, Thatch, Bamboo, Wood,
Mud, Plastic or Polythene
• Serviceable Temporary : [Kuchha - I]
– Wall is made of Mud, Unburnt bricks or Wood
• Non-Serviceable Temporary : [Kuchha - II]
– Wall is made of Grass, Thatch, Bamboo etc., Plastic or Polythene
 Types of Housing
• May be categorised in many ways:
– based on common Physical Characteristics
• e.g., Detached, Semi-detached, Row housing, Town house,
Apartment / Flats, Farmhouse etc.
– based on mode of delivery [in terms of land sub-
division, and ownership]:
• e.g., Plotted, Group Housing, Cooperative, Self Help, with
land Leasehold, Freehold / Condominium, Rental Housing,
squatter housing etc.
– based on special purpose:
• e.g., Barrier free, Mobile homes, congregate housing for
assisted living, disaster housing, Student & public housing,
Guest house, Night shelters, Incremental Housing
– based on clientele, technology etc.
• HIG, MIG, LIG, EWS, Vernacular, Pre-fabricated, High-rise,
Low-rise etc.
 Components of Housing
Household, Dwelling Units

Locality & Environment Management Sub-Systems

Locality & its Physical Local housing Market

characteristics
Institutions for Provision,
Access, Proximity to City Funding, Regulation while in
level facilities Use & needed Services
Infrastructure available Housing Programmes,
People groups Master Plan, Development
Codes, Bye-laws Acts Etc.
Etc.
 Components of Housing if seen as aspects
affecting Quality
• Dwelling Units : space, materials, technology, aesthetics etc.
• Availability and access to physical infrastructure /utility services and
supply,
• Availability and access to facilities / amenities / social infrastructure
• Status of Tenure & ownership
– consequent security or lack of it
• Location, Locality & Local Urban environment
• Socio- Economic aspect
– Hierarchical privacy, crowding, territoriality & sense of belonging,
inadequacy of housing – resultant angst
– Housing market, finance, affordability & need
 Role of housing in socio-economic development

• Housing holds the key to accelerate the pace of development as

Investments in housing like any other industry, has a multiplier effect
on income and employment.
• It is estimated that overall employment generation in the economy
due to additional investment in the housing/construction is eight
times the direct employment (IIM-Ahmedabad Study, 2000).
• The construction sector provides employment to 16% of the work
force (absolute number 146 lakh-1997). It is growing at the rate of
7%. Out of this, the housing sector alone accounts for 85.5lakh
workers.
• However nearly 55% of them are in the unskilled category. Housing
provides employment to a cross-section of people which importantly
include poor. [such employment is critical to avoid social unrest]
 Role of housing in socio-economic development

• Housing also provide opportunities for home-based economic

activities.
• Adequate housing also decides the health status of occupants.
• On account of health and income considerations, housing is a very
important tool to alleviate poverty and generate employment.
• Adequate housing [with territoriality & distinct boundaries] reduces
social tension and fosters peace in society
• Provides sense of security, privacy, context for social interaction &
allows desired growth & fulfillment of individuals
Housing & non-residential components of settlement
Dwelling Units: Live

Circulation corridors

Work Recreation
Manifested in various types of urban land-uses

Commercial land uses Land-uses for Utility service facilities

Industrial land uses Government land [undecided & non-public]
Recreational land uses Public & Semi-Public Activities
Transportation land uses Green belt / vacant land / water bodies

%age of land under residential Land-use in urban settlements:

Mega – city: near 40 – 45% Small – town: near 55%

Increases to