The United Nations’ (UN) World Habitat Day is annually celebrated on the first Monday of October to reflect on the state of human settlements and people’s right to sufficient shelter. It also aims to remind people that they are responsible for the habitat of future next generations.
With population explosion, the problem of housing has become more serious. Along with food and clothes, housing or a shelter is one of the three most important requirements of human being. The UN-Habitat Global Housing Strategy is a collaborative global movement towards adequate housing for all and improving access to housing in general and the living conditions of slum dwellers in particular.
Each year, the World Habitat Day takes on a new theme chosen by the United Nations based on current issues relevant to the habitat agenda. The themes are selected to bring attention to UN-Habitat’s mandate to promote sustainable development policies that ensure adequate shelter for all. The theme for 2016 is ‘Housing at the Centre.’
Today, 1.6 billion people live in inadequate shelter around the world; 1 billion of those live in informal settlements. More than 100 million people worldwide are homeless. About 1 in 4 people live in conditions that harm their health, safety, prosperity and opportunities. By 2030, UN-HABITAT estimates an additional 3 billion people, about 40 per cent of the world’s population will need access to housing. This translates into a demand for 96,150 new affordable units every day and 4,000 every hour. By 2050, 70 per cent of the world’s population is projected to be living in urban areas, causing slums and unplanned settlements to swell. One billion slum dwellers struggle on a daily basis with tenure security, meaning they cannot prove they have a right to live where they live and thus face constant fear of unjust eviction. Approximately 75 per cent of the land on which people live around the world isn’t formally registered as being owned.
lacking access to land often lies at the heart of the lack of decent housing, depriving the poor of the most basic physical, economic and psychological security of adequate shelter. A number of housing clusters have mushroomed in and around various metropolitan centres in haphazard and unplanned manner, without a proper layout and devoid of service lines and other essential facilities. These unauthorized developments are encroachments on land parcels belonging to Government bodies, public- private-institutions or areas meant to be green belts.
As per the 2011 Census, Odisha, with 41 million people, is the eleventh-most populous Indian State. Over the last decade, Odisha has witnessed a 14.1 per cent population rise while the urban population increased at a rate of 27.2 per cent. There are shortages of 4, 10,000 dwelling units for EWS/lIG housing in Odisha. Besides, lack of affordable housing leads to slums in many parts of the State. The Odisha Assembly passed a Bill which aims to reserve 20 per cent of vacant land for economically weaker sections under its affordable housing scheme. The Odisha Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill 2015 which was passed has provisioned earmarking 20 per cent of vacant land under residential land use for any housing projects undertaken by the Government developing authorities. The new amendment makes it compulsory for all apartments and group housing schemes with plot size exceeding 2000 sq metre to reserve 10 per cent of the built up area for economically weaker section dwelling units. The housing requirements in Bhubaneswar are changing due to high population growth. To accommodate more housing for this population, there is a need to assess the existing housing scenario and future housing demand. The housing requirements may be satisfied by increasing the housing density and re-densification.
There are only two basic strategies to make housing affordable those who suffer from affordability problems. One is raising their incomes, or indirectly through housing subsidies.
Everyone has a right to shelter, and thinking of ways to improve housing in our communities can not only make us more aware of the world in which we live, but can also put ideas into action that can help others.
Smart City, a vision launched by the Union Government, envisages building 100 cities which develop a sustainable framework ensuring employment and improved quality of life to all its citizens. Housing, a basic human need thus, is an important pillar of Indian Smart Cities.
The solution requires not only subsidies to close the gap between incomes and the cost of housing, but also the production of more affordable housing units from which households can choose. Households vary in their housing needs and preferences, and their ability to pay. In response, cities should develop diverse housing options, including various types, sizes and prices.
Smart growth cannot be successful unless it includes a significant element of affordable housing. Thus a huge and massive housing programme should be made by the Central Government along with all State Governments. The people in slum areas and foot paths should also be brought under some sort of housing schemes so that India can as a whole ensure that none of people is houseless in this country. Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, and the environment. In other words, smart growth seeks the adoption of new policies and practices that, as a package, provide better housing, transportation, economic expansion, and environmental outcomes than do traditional approaches to development. Smart growth ensures greater environmental protection, by preserving open space and other environmental amenities, and leads to stronger communities by recognising the importance of integrating development and quality of life.
To succeed in eliminating poverty housing around the world in our lifetime, we must promote smart policies that advance access to adequate, affordable housing. lack of access to land is often at the heart of poverty housing; to build a shelter and make it a home, a family needs to know they have rights and won’t be evicted. Removing current barriers to access would benefit millions of people around the world. We must promote smart policies that advance access to adequate and affordable housing. The people in slum areas and foot paths should also be brought under some sort of housing schemes so that India can as a whole ensure that none of people is houseless in this country.
(Dr Praharaj is faculty member in Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)