HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY: URBAN CONTEXT

The IIA conference on affordable housing highlighted some of the key issues not only related to the theme but also to the generic question on Housing. Although the JLL report on Urban Housing clearly stating the deficiency of 24 million units within 10^th five year plan, within which 88% of housing units need in economical weaker section. However discussion began with clear statement “HOUSING FOR ALL” drawing up with the philosophical dimensions, delineating the issues in broader perspective that “AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT”. The fundamental attributes of housing has to deal with economic and social perspectives with multi fold approach & multi-contextual syntax.

The rapid industrialization of urban areas and cities came up with the incidental housing supply, perhaps negating the mobilization of social and economic class in long term perspective, adding up to the wider problems when we talk about de-industrialization of the city. The affordable housing is perhaps a urban governance issue or absence of inclusive social housing policy. The second speaker enumerated in the context of housing delivery system. The supply and demand ratios are not the only tools to understand housing mosaic, but social and economic perspective related to financial policy and its approachable framework to this segment adding in to the housing problems. The four areas that perhaps needs to be addressed within affordable housing policy: Accessibility, Financial Framework, Land Management, Amenities.

The last session demonstrated that housing system does exist in the country, at national level and state level. We need to examine the failure of such policy that was largely operating in housing of various segments, along with the stake holder perspective.

The affordable housing has scale and context. It does represent by the diverse group within that framework. The larger domain of affordable housing is within the issues:

Need base and value base housing.

Minimum housing and Optimum housing.

Social unit and Functional unit

Income level and housing affordability

Clarity in land management and legal framework

Strategies, Policies & Subsidies

Inclusive Planning Mechanism