Incremental Housing and Housing Transformation of the Poor in Karnataka : Problems and Prospects

Social housing schemes have historically played a very significant role in alleviating the housing poverty in the rural and urban areas of the country and in realising the dreams of houseless poor families at the national and sub-national levels. With the national and state governments' financial commitments for the implementation of the social housing schemes, additional housing stock has been created and thereby the housing deprivation has been minimised, especially in the rural areas of the country. These schemes have contributed for the increase in the housing stock in the pucca and semi-pucca streams and thereby the incidence of the dilapidated units has been brought down substantially. Also these schemes have been successful in bringing about housing comforts as well as increased access to housing amenities like household electricity, sanitation, drinking water and drainage. Besides, a good number of beneficiary families have successfully undertaken a few economic activities and have enhanced their family income to some extent. Despite these positive impacts on the poorer sections, the functioning of the social housing schemes has been bogged down by a number of problems from panchayat, beneficiary and village corners. Inadequacy of housing benefits, prevalence of corruption, various costs involved in receiving the housing benefits and use of the external influence are some of the problems identified. This paper, after having considered all these issues in greater detail based on an empirical research in Karnataka, suggests alternatives for better administration of the social housing schemes.