Housing the deprived and underprivileged: India's experience

Abstract

Despite the country's achievements in different fields over the last quarter century, India has yet to tackle one of its basic needs—that of housing for its teeming millions. Developing countries in their understandable eagerness to raise production in industry, are paying a scant attention to the housing of the deprived and underprivileged segment of the population. Recognition of housing as an infrastructure in the total economic development for a welfare state has yet to come. This paper concludes, through a systematic examination of the problem, that planners and policy makers should give priority and evolve a set of desirable and feasible standards for housing the needy rather than widening the imbalances in one of the basic needs of a man. It is advocated that the crisis in housing the deprived and underprivileged can and should be averted.

Despite the country's achievements in different fields over the last quarter century, India has yet to tackle one of its basic needs—that of housing for its teeming millions. Developing countries in their understandable eagerness to raise production in industry, are paying a scant attention to the housing of the deprived and underprivileged segment of the population. Recognition of housing as an infrastructure in the total economic development for a welfare state has yet to come. This paper concludes, through a systematic examination of the problem, that planners and policy makers should give priority and evolve a set of desirable and feasible standards for housing the needy rather than widening the imbalances in one of the basic needs of a man. It is advocated that the crisis in housing the deprived and underprivileged can and should be averted.