The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-11 stresses on safe and adequate housing for all. The present housing schemes are very minimalistic in nature and not the answer to the long-term needs of the people in disaster-prone areas, stated speakers at the two -day deliberation on disaster resilient habitat planning and social housing for rural Odisha, organized by CYSD on August 27 and 28 here.
A special dialogue for disaster affected communities is necessary where stakeholders from different platforms such as Government officials, bankers, MFIs and CSOs can join hand together.
Even, awareness among rural mass is crucial regarding the process and accessibility of housing loan, said Special Secretary and Director, Institutional Finance, Government of Odisha PK Biswal.
The Odisha State Cooperative Bank and MFIs with their presence in the rural areas may be linked with to facilitate housing finance, he added.
Setting up housing support services hub at each GP head quarter to extend handholding support to common people in accessing information on various housing schemes, accessing loan from banks, complying with documents and technical-knowhow on construction of houses is important to further drive the social housing movement in the State, said Jagadananda, the co-founder of CYSD.
Habitat literacy focusing on disaster resilient housing schemes, technical knowhow need to be disseminated among the people of Odisha, said Padmashree G Shankar, noted
architect. The workshop was attended by wide range of delegates from different sectors including civil society, architects, and social housing experts across the country, officials from the Government, bankers and financial institutions.