Module 2.3
Rural Housing and Housing Schemes
Syllabus: The problem of housing, housing types, low cost houses, the housing schemes in rural
area, community buildings- hospitals, schools, community halls etc.
1. Overview:
Shelter is a basic need along with food and clothing for human subsistence. Adequate shelter for
each and every household is a prerequisite for healthy living in every society. A house provides significant
economic security and status in society. A house provides the householders both physical and mental
strength and psychological base on which they can fall back while accessing other basic needs such as
food, clothing, etc. For poor households a house constitutes an asset. They can offer this asset as a
collateral security for a loan during difficult period.
2. Rural housing problems in India:
In India nearly three-fourth of population lives in rural areas. The housing needs of people in these
areas are largely unmet. The houses of the rural poor in India are found to be deficient in various ways.
The major housing problems of the poor relate to the following.
A. The houses in the rural areas lack protection to the residents against wind, rain and cold.
B. They lack proper arrangement for light and fresh air.
C. Rural houses do not have separate arrangement for keeping animals.
D. There is no proper arrangement for basic sanitation and drinking water.
E. The surroundings of rural houses lack requirements for hygiene.
F. Rural houses are infested with insects, rodents, etc. which cause health problems.
G. Rural houses involve high recurring costs (maintenance) which the poor residents cannot afford.
H. Rural houses are incapable of providing protection against natural calamities like floods, cyclones,
etc.
In 2011 the Planning Commission constituted a Working Group on Rural Housing for the Twelfth
Five Year Plan to provide a perspective and approach on rural housing. The Working Group has estimated
the shortage of 43.10 million rural housing in India for the period of 2012-2017. The break-down of the
rural housing shortage is indicated in following table 1.
Table 1: Rural housing shortage in India for the period 2012-2017
Equation
Factors taken into account for
No.
accessing housing shortage
A
Computation
A Number of Households not having
No. of Households Existing Stock
Houses in 2012
of Houses (in numbers)
Shortage
(in-millions)
4.10
1
Existing Stock of Houses – No. of
B
Number of Temporary (Kutcha)
Permanent (PUCCA) and Semi
Houses in 2012
Permanent (Semi- PUCCA)
20.20
Houses
C
Shortage due to Congestion 2012
D
Shortage due to Obsolescence 2012
6.5 percent of No. of
Households in 2012
4.3 percent of No. of
Households in 2012
Total Rural Housing Shortage -
T1
2012
A+B+C+D
11.30
7.50
43.10
3. The housing schemes in rural India:
A comprehensive national policy on housing was considered necessary in view of the various
problems faced in relation to housing in India. The main objective of such a policy was to spell out
priorities for promoting sustained development of housing.
The National Housing Policy and Habitat Policy (1988) emphasized that housing is not only a
commodity but a productive investment. Housing promotes economic activities as well as creates the
base for attaining several national policy goals (1988 – Government of India). The basic objectives of the
policy are;
1. To motivate and help people and in particular the houseless and the inadequately housed and top
secure for themselves affordable shelter through access to land materials, technology and finance.
2. To improve the environment of human settlements with a view to raise the quality of life through the
provision of drinking water, sanitation and other basic services.
3. To accord priority for promoting access to shelter for the houseless and the disadvantages groups such
as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and freed bonded labourers, rural landless labourers and
economically weaker sections.
The implementation of the above objectives was to be accomplished by using variety of
strategies. It includes making available developed land at reasonable rates for housing, providing of
tenure to households both in rural and urban areas, developing a viable and accessible institutional
system for the provision of housing, finance, etc.
Housing is an expensive activity. It involves very heavy investment from the Government. Hence,
the whole policy is based on “enabling the approach of the state” as suggested in the Global Shelter
strategy of the United Nations. The government will act mainly as a facilitator rather than constructor or
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provider of housing except perhaps for the vulnerable sections for whom housing has gone beyond reach.
Government of India has organized a few major housing schemes for the rural poor. They include
(1) Indira Awaas Yojana,
(6) Rural Ashraya for Rural Housing and Habitat
Development,
(2) Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana,
(7) Setting up of Rural Building Centre,
(3) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sabha Yojana,
(8) Samagra Awaas Yojana,
(4) Credit cum-Subsidy for Rural Housing,
(5) Dr. Ambedkar Housing Scheme,
(9) National Mission for Rural Housing and
Habitat and
(10) Two Million Housing Programme.
4. Housing types:
Housing form, technology and materials used for construction vary across the country. The
various types of housing can be differentiated depending on the material, construction, and serviceability
conditions. The types of Housing are:
a) Permanent House: Houses with wall and roof made of permanent materials. Wall can be of G. I., Metal,
Asbestos sheets, Burnt bricks, Stone or Concrete. Roof can be made up of Tiles, Slate, G. I., Metal,
Asbestos sheets, Brick, Stone or Concrete.
b) Semi Permanent House: Either wall or roof is made of permanent material (and the other having been
made of temporary material).
c) Temporary House: Houses with wall and roof made of temporary material. Wall can be made of grass,
thatch, bamboo etc., plastic, polythene, mud, unbaked brick or wood. Roof can be made of grass, thatch,
bamboo, wood, mud, plastic or polythene.
d) Serviceable Temporary house: Wall and roof is made of mud, unbaked bricks or wood.
e) Non-Serviceable Temporary house: Wall and roof is made of grass, thatch, bamboo etc., plastic or
polythene.
Further, the housing type depends on physical factors, such as climate (including temperature,
humidity and rainfall) and availability of natural resources. In the coastal areas the climate is moderate
and there is less of difference between the summers and winters. Humidity is high and therefore, there
is a need for wind flow in order to attain thermal comfort. As there are incessant rains, so the traditional
house form here has emerged with spacious houses with central courtyard, large windows for free
passage of air and high gable roofs to withstand the rains. Further, use of locally available stone, brick and
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timber is common. The availability of clay has also ensured that burnt clay tiles are put to use. On the
contrary, in the arid climate of Rajasthan, where the summers are sweltering and the winters are chilling,
rains are also scanty, in this continental climate, thick walls with small openings, shaded courts and
narrow lanes to get as much shade as possible and flat roofs are popular.
However, in the hilly areas it’s quite different as it is very cold and sunshine is always desirable,
locally available stones are used, as against brick. There are no courtyards as there is paucity of space on
the hill slopes. Timber and tiled roofs are common. Construction is often light in order to take care of
earthquakes which are quite common here. ‘Icra walling’ and use of bamboo is popular. One can see that
traditional housing has always been in tune with nature.
5. Low-Cost houses:
Housing is very expensive and important activity which not only gives shelter it also provides
security for all class of people. A major population of India is below lower income group and hence, a Low
cost housing projects for affordable living are a major concern. So, need of the hour is low cost homes.
Construction of low cost housing by using the low cost building materials increases the access to buildings
by low income group people. Low cost housing can be achieved by use of efficient planning and project
management, low cost materials, economical construction technologies and use of alternate construction
methods available. The profit gained from use of such methods can decrease the cost of construction and
make the low cost housing accessible to all. The use of low cost alternate building materials also prevents
the rise of construction cost due to use of scarce building materials which eventually increase the cost of
the project. Therefore, following key points must be considered to evaluate a low-cost housing.
1. Material selection: The first step to low cost housing is material selection. The materials must be ecofriendly and durable. This also enhances the sustainable design principle. The life cycle of building is
Prebuilding, building and post-building stages. Each stage of building should be such that they help
conserve the energy. These three stages indicate flow of building materials through different stages of a
building. Pre-building stage mainly consists of manufacture which is subdivided in processing, packing and
transport. The building phase mainly consists of construction, operation and maintenance whilst as the
last stage would be disposal where the material can be recycled or reused. In Manufacturing of low cost
building materials
2. Pollution prevention: Manufacturing of building materials should be environment friendly. Efforts
should be made to study and revise the technologies for producing good quality, efficient building
materials.
3. Reducing Energy Consumption and use of Natural materials: The total energy required to produce a
material is called embodied energy. The greater a materials embodied energy; it requires a greater usage
of non-renewable sources. It is therefore advantageous to use materials or composite materials prepared
from the wastages. The natural materials such as stones, wood, lime, sand and bamboo can be used in
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ample where ever possible. The natural materials impact more sustainability to structures as well as they
are friendlier to environment.
4. Use of Local material: The use of local materials reduces the dependence on transportation whose
contribution to the building material cost is high for long distance. A use of locally available building
materials not only reduces the construction cost but also is suitable for the local environmental
conditions.
5. Longevity, durability and maintenance of building material: The use of durable construction materials
does not only enhance the life of the building but also reduces the cost of maintenance. The lower
maintenance costs naturally save a lot of building operating cost. The materials used in buildings
determine the long term costs of an operating.
6. Community buildings:
A Town/ township/residential locality in general, is self-contained and integrated in the social
infrastructure needs, services, shopping, entertainment and waste management. Infrastructure and
services include road network, water supply and management, electricity supply and management and
proper communication services. Social infrastructure includes Schools, Medicare, Recreation and
Community centre. Shopping centre with adequate facilities should be housed in the township itself.
Proper waste management including garbage collection, segregation, treatment and disposal with the
township should be provided. Maintenance of infrastructure and proper security and safety of the
residents is to be ensured.
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