SECURED SHELTER /SOCIAL HOUSING

From End Of Poverty

1. SECURED SHELTER /SOCIAL HOUSING:

The theme of “social housing” as a tool for development has become a topic for discussion to many NGOs involved in rural development. The concept of social housing has been perceived differently by various people in different ways:

• as a means to an end; • as an end to itself; • as an entry point to a host of things;

While looking back at our twenty-three years experience of implementing social housing programme, ASSIST is trying to analyse the impact it made in a community. Many a time it proved as an entry point to a more comprehensive community development programme. Though there are many other programmes able to create awareness on problems, on finding solutions, to build up strength to fight for their rights, but among all such programmes it is housing which provides scope for the whole family and community to participate in a shared activity and which gives equal benefit for all the families irrespective of socio-economic status. It is an activity, which on one hand responds to one’s basic need (which is an unfulfilled dream to a poor family) and which in turn gives them a sense of pride, and also simultaneously satisfies the urge for ownership and thus creates optimism and hope. Participation of people in housing gives them a sense of pride and belonging which ideally sets the stage for an attack on other problems like health, education and the above all peoples organisation which is essential for the growth and betterment of community to stand for their rights. It gives scope for change of attitudes growing through the process of united action, decision making, wisdom and above all putting in all the possible resources, building up community and through such experience organising themselves for bigger things. It is evident from our experiences that the leadership built in a village would continuously strive for more developmental activities in the community though it takes some time for them to reinvest their part for other programmes having already invested their savings completely for housing.

“SOCIAL HOUSING” is the need of an hour to achieve rural development - adequate shelter paves way for better living conditions among the rural poor. As a result, their migration could be restricted, the savings can be improved, the health conditions of women and children can be made better off, the children can be sent to schools and the family could plan for their economic upliftment. It not only shows them a way for economic upliftment but more than this own house gives the poor who have been suffering under great distress for several decades a greater pride and dignity and they could gain self-respect.

“Secured Shelter creates good hope in the minds of people to lead better future. It attains a greater pride and dignity among the poor families who had been living in great distress and despair.’ It is not a saying but observed and found in the rural areas of Prakasam and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh where ASSIST has taken up a massive housing programme for the disadvantaged poor under cyclone rehabilitation programme. Right from the inception ASSIST has given much priority to support the poor and homeless to have own and secured shelter. ASSIST has extended its support nearly to over 20,000 needy families to have permanent house and noticed many improvements and changes in the lives of the poor.

“Right from my childhood I used to go to the landlords houses to urge them to provide some agricultural work but after having my own house the farmers are coming to my house to provide the work in their farms.”

“Whenever we celebrate some functions in our families we used to invite all sections of the people in the village but they never attended. But after having own and secured shelter even rich people are attending the functions celebrated by us”.

These are not stories but real expressions emerged in the hearts of the people who have constructed their own houses and shared their views and opinions. ASSIST has got very good recognition and identity in the society and its interventions are well appreciated by the Government as well as by the donors. Housing programme is one of the major activities which contributed a lot to get such an identity to ASSIST.

Secured shelter is the prime basic need of the people to lead a sustainable living. Even though the local Government is helping a lot to construct their own houses, real poor are not able to make use of this programme as it involves heavy investment on the part of the target family in addition to the input extended by the Government. As a result, still millions of poor people both in rural and urban areas are living with insecure shelter. Due to this they are facing many problems particularly at the time of natural calamities such as floods, cyclone and fire accidents. In Andhra Pradesh particularly in Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna Districts every year there will be a cyclone and people from these areas are feeling insecure. In the western parts of the district it is very dry and the temperature is very high in the summer. Due to this every year fire accidents occur quite frequently and tiny huts get vanished.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh is taking up housing programme in a large scale for the benefit of the poor. The amount that the Government provides is not sufficient to construct the designed house. Due to this, the real poor are not coming forward to take up the housing programme. The ultimate benefits of this programme are going to other categories of people. ASSIST is promoting People’s Organisations (POs) in all its operational villages and mobilises the people to get the maximum support from the Government. Though the villagers contribute some cash from their meagre savings apart from their manual labour they are unable to complete the houses. Without external support, it is very difficult for our target group to have a secured shelter. Hence, the project provides matching support in form of required material to enable the target group to make use of the government programme to have a secured shelter.

Once the villagers gain the confidence that they can manage the social housing programme as planned, the actual programme will begin. After the community realises the problem of shelter among its target families and is able to identify families who are not able to construct their own houses with the probable assistance of state government, the proposed measures for the execution of the programme are as follows:

Identification of target families: The village development society is made responsible to identify the families who can not afford to construct their own house either on their own or even with the government assistance. Once this list is prepared by the village development society, the field staff of ASSIST at area level counter-check the socio-economic status of the target families. In case of any discrepancy, the matter is discussed with the office bearers of village development society and with the mutual consent, the list of target families for this programme is finalised.

Seeking government sanction: Once the list is finalised, the village development society under the guidance and assistance of ASSIST staff requests the concerned Member of Legislative Assembly and the District Collector for the sanction of government support. The matter will be followed up by the liaison office of ASSIST and with the good rapport established by ASSIST in the operational area, the sanction could be obtained easily once the assistance is assured from ASSIST for the completion of houses.

Construction of houses: As it is cyclone-prone region, the house-design proposed both by the Government and ASSIST so far in this area is RCC slabbed house with an open verandah, living room and kitchen. Though the plinth area is around 250 sq.ft. per each family, the house-design is varied from the village to village as the villagers’ choice is taken into account. While some models are displayed before the target families, the villagers are made to choose the probable house they would like to construct.

The construction of house is normally done as follows:

• the foundation with black stone blasted from rocks and cement mortar after having filled with sand; in loose soils, the pile foundations are used and a beam is casted on the ground; • the superstructure with 9” brick wall with cement mortar - bricks are made with clay and burnt with rice husk in chambers; • the slab is made with reinforced cement concrete of 4” thickness - lightly slanting roof is proposed not only to have good elevation but also to face the heavy rains and winds; • the outside plastering is done with cement mortar and the flooring is covered with stone slabs;

The design of the house-type is enclosed as annex: I.

ASSIST has also developed guidelines for housing programme:

• Respective family members have to be involved compulsorily in the construction of their house. In order to create a sense of belongingness and ownership feeling, it is a MUST. As such, it is implicit that ASSIST does not extend matching assistance to the families whose houses are being constructed by the contractor or third party. • Target families have no right to dispose of their houses at least 25 years from the time of completion of the respective houses. These families have to give an undertaking to that extent. In case the house has become vacant in a community by unexpected event, the Village Development Society will have a right to reallocate the house to a family deserving to have a house from the community. • All the houses supported by ASSIST will be disaster prone and material used for the construction eco-friendly. • Sanitary Installation is compulsory element along with housing. • Minimum plinth area to be followed is 250 sq. ft. • Respective family is free to make a design of the house following the government stipulations. However, in a community, all the families are encouraged to follow a similar house design to give a better look for the reconstructed village. • Respective family is responsible for the proper upkeep, usage and maintenance of the constructed house.

Multipurpose Community Centres:

The most vital item proposed under infrastructure development is the promotion of multipurpose community centres. These centres are used for various types of village meetings, cultural festivals, village celebrations, functions like marriages, manage the people’s organisation like Village Development Society or Mutually Aided Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society, etc. These centres also have become small income generation units for the villages to raise their common fund. Once the villagers raise their common fund for the construction of the centre apart from obtaining the required site and the possibilities of obtaining local Government support are explored, ASSIST envisages the support for the construction of these centres when it emerges as a felt-need by the people.