Right to House: Housing-induced Poverty and Sustainable Development

Abstract

The most basic needs for human survival constitute food, clothing, health and house. Any type of deprivation with respect to the basic needs directly impinge on human survival and poverty. Thus, human life cannot be secured in isolation by any one of them. It is a locus of interactions between a multitude of needs. Universally, income has always been a criterion for determining poverty, but with the changing times scope of poverty expanded to include consumption, access to basic amenities, etc. House is at the centre of an ensemble of issues related to life. It is quite evident that poor people are not only deprived of basic amenities like access to education, healthcare facilities, adequate food consumption, income generation etc., but also devoid of adequate house. Can there be some complementing relationship between housing and poverty? The results of the study revealed that house along with sustainability indicators like health, education and food has greater impact on poverty than without house. It means the cumulative effect of anti-poverty measures centered on a house has far-reaching impact on poverty. This study suggests that providing house is not sufficient for poor people, house with basic amenities and access to education, health and income generating activities improved their living conditions.

Keywords: Right to house, poverty, deprivation, sustainability, two-room house