During the ninteen eighties, Turner’s seminal work “Freedom to Build” has influenced housing policy of most of the Third World countries and developed the concept of social housing where use value instead of exchange value of houses is predominant. (Turner 1976) Housing is more than a finished product. It is a process that guides an activity through which people provide themselves with shelter and services. In this process, people-bound resources are mobilized in the provision of shelter. Family needs over time for space are gradually and incrementally satisfied along with changes in family size and structure as well as resources. The first thing people need is a good location with respect to job opportunities. Then they need a piece of land, where they can build their shelter with whatever materials and resources available. Then they look for amenities like water, electricity and so on. They will go on improving their shelter conditions.
However, houses are being produced more and more as commodities meant for exchange value; and housing problems remained unsolved in many cities of developing countries even today. In addition to the use value, housing has an exchange value. As more and more land came under commercial use, most houses in highly urbanized areas began to be constructed as commodities, as something to be traded for (or to be rented). When housing is produced as a commodity, the meaning of self-help, people-bound resources, or the sense of belonging becomes less significant. This is the case of economic housing against the social housing. Real estate developers and private investors are involved in such activities. For instance, the recent developments that are taking place in Kathmandu is discouraging social housing. (Joshi 2013: p. 32)
Housing provides the owner with valuable assets. It is the most dependable asset. As its value appreciates over time, it generates income and serves as a good insurance. It is a status symbol. In societies as ours where maximum standards are not legally enforced or the ceiling is set at a very high level, the rich accumulates wealth in the form of land and buildings inhibiting the development of social housing.
There is a clear evidence to show Nepal’s failure to sustain housing industry and real estate business where houses are built for fetching exchange value. Governance related negligence, expectation of very high returns from housing investments leading to the exclusion of key industires, and overwhelming reliance of banks and national economy on real estate development all seem to have worked against economic housing. Are the recent earthquakes driving us towards a policy shift in favor of social housing?
An immediate observation shows that the soil condiitons of Kathamndu Valley in general limit the extent of landuse for intensive development. Another important fact to be obsered is that the houses built for exchange value suffered more than houses taken care by the dwellers themselves. This clearly shows that dwellers’ involvement in planning and constructing buildings makes a difference. Following Turner, dweller controlled building process should be encouraged as such buildings proved to be safer in aggregate terms. Buildings used as commodity and built for exchagne value suffered most. Institutional buildings as they lacked a sense of belonging with negligence in maintenance naturally were not better either.
Dwellers’ participation in the rebuilding process is the key to sustaining the resilience shown by our settlements. Through the housing process that people initiate, different institutions are urged to provide urban infrastructure and services; and the demand for urban goods and services is created for the business to operate and thrive. Through housing, neighborhoods and communities are formed, which eventually grow into towns, cities, and metropolises. The transformation from a tiny village to a town implies the provision of housing and infrastructure, which helps the village to grow as a thriving economy. The mode of providing housing in rapidly growing urban areas that have acute shortage of housing and services is an important factor that shapes cities. Housing process saves our cities from major economic catastrophes since the financing of urban development is expanded by bringing the people into the process. This becomes self-sustaining as people’s ability to pay for services increases. The polciy should enhance people’s access to more resource and more power.
The provision of housing and services through the formal sector, whether public or private, has failed to cater to the needs of all and the poor in particular. Moreover such an approach has an adverse impact on the development of local buidling materials and alternate technologies.Public agencies are facing many problems in the delivery of housing related services in a satisfactory way. In order to reduce the further load on the already stretched mechanisms of most of the agencies, it is necessary to pursue development in a decentralized way. People should be encouraged to participate in the process of rebuilding; and most of the resources will come through the process itself.
References:
Turner, J. and R. Fichter. 1972 “Freedom to Build”. New York: McMillian Co.
Joshi, J. 2013. “Housing and Urban Development in Nepal” Kathmandu: Lajmina Joshi.