2. BACKGROUND
Kerala lies along the coastline, to the extreme south west of the
Indian peninsula, flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the
mountains of the Western Ghats on the east.
POPULATION = 3,33,87,677
( AS PER 2011 CENSUS)
URBAN RURAL
1,74,55,506 1,59,32,171
% ofTotal population
47.72% 52.28%
The decadal percentage of urban
population has increased from
29.96% in 2001 to 47.72% in 2011.
This shows the high rate of
urbanization.
Numerical
shortage of
housing in
2001
Total number
of dilapidated
Houses in
2001
Housing for
newly formed
households
required
Projected
demand at
the end of
12thplan
(2012-17)
63,000 units 5.38 lakhs 4.5 lakh 6.5 lakhs new
constn. + 5.5
lakh reconstn.
According to the census figures of
2001, 68% of households lived in
permanent houses and 21.60% in
semi permanent houses. The
projected requirement for the next
five years was 10 lakhs.
The State has to undertake the
task of constructing 12 lakh
Housing units, of which around
sixty percent is meant for the
EWS
HOUSING PROFILE IN KERALA
3. SETTLEMENT PATTERN AND
HOUSINGTYPOLOGY
The settlement pattern of the State is of rural and
urban continuum and different varieties of housing
typologies with vernacular, traditional and local types.
The typologies of housing pattern have rich
architectural heritage and skylines.
Indigenous tribal settlements and the traditional
fishermen settlements have peculiar housing patterns.
High rise buildings, IT habitats, Technology Parks and
Electronic hubs are booming in the State. Most of
these types of settlements are seen to have developed
without adequate, balanced and integrated planning.
Kerala is known for its unique settlement pattern with
independent houses on individual plots scattered
across the habitable areas. Due to its distinctive social,
geographic and climatic conditions, the trend has been
to build houses in small garden lands creating
tremendous pressure on lands.
Bungalow house
Tribal tree houses
TraditionalToda Hut
Boat house
Fisherman houses
IT sector inCochin
Apartments by Kerala
Housing Board
4. 1950s
• Village housing scheme implemented with the support of the community development programme sponsored byGoI.
1971
• Kerala State Housing Board was established which took many loan-subsidy linked housing programs for EWS
1972
• One Lakh Housing scheme - it marked a remarkable change in the low-income housing situation of Kerala. It was designed for
the poor landless agricultural laborers, who have not received homesteads under the KeralaAgrarian Relations Act
Later
• housing schemes for SCs and STs were taken up in a major way integrated with the centrally sponsored employment generating
schemes of NREP, RLEGP, etc.
1987
• Kerala State Nirmiti Kendra was established which worked on cost effective and environment friendly building technology
1991
• Rajiv One Million Housing Scheme (ROMHS) for all sections by the board
1992-97
• Eighth five year plan according to National Housing Policy
1996
• IndiraAwasYojana was launched along with Mythri Housing Scheme for EWS - Under this scheme, it was proposed to construct
1,00,000 houses per annum.
2007
• The EMS Housing scheme, Housing for all
HISTORY OF PUBLIC HOUSING SCHEMES
5. KERALA STATE HOUSING POLICY- 2011
VISION- The policy envisages the promotion of sustainable development of the habitat with the
objective to ensure adequate and affordable housing for all, ensuring supply of quality basic services
with integrated livelihood mechanisms and special focus on the needs of the poor, marginalized and
disadvantaged on a rights based framework for the accomplishment of “Adequate and Affordable
Housing for All” in sustainable habitat mode, facilitating inclusive growth.
AIM- The aims of the Kerala State Housing Policy 2011 are:
(i) Creation of adequate and affordable housing stock on ownership and rental basis on a right based
framework.
(ii) Meeting the special needs of SC/ST/disabled/fishermen/traditionally employed laborers / slum
dwellers, elderly women, street vendors and other weaker and vulnerable sections of the society.
(iii) Facilitating accelerated supply of serviced land and housing with particular focus
to EWS and LIG categories.
(iv) Facilitating up gradation of existing decaying housing stock and extending the shelf life of the house.
(v) Facilitating all dwelling units to have easy accessibility to basic services of sanitation, drinking water,
power, waste disposal and social infrastructural facilities like education, health and transport.
(vi) Adopting participatory approach in the design of public housing programme taking into account
end-user concerns.
6. (vii) Promotion of larger flow of funds to meet the revenue requirements of housing and infrastructure
using innovative tools.
(viii) Forging strong partnerships between private, public and cooperative sectors to enhance the
capacity of the construction industry to participate in every sphere of housing and infrastructure.
(ix) Promoting cost effective, environment friendly technologies for modernizing the housing sector to
increase efficiency, productivity, energy efficiency and quality. The concept of Green building will be
propagated.
(x) Guiding urban and rural settlements so that a planned and balanced growth is achieved with the help
of innovative methods such as provision of urban amenities in rural areas (PURA) leading to in-situ
urbanization.
(xi) Development of cities, towns and villages in a manner which provide for a healthy environment,
increased use of renewable energy sources and pollution free atmosphere with a concern for solid waste
disposal, drainage, etc.
(xii) Skill up gradation programmes enabling the workers to move up the wage chain in
employment.
(xiii) Removing legal, financial and administrative barriers for facilitating access to tenure, land, finance
and technology.
(xiv) Facilitating, restructuring and empowering the Institutions at State and Local
Governments to mobilize land, planning and financing for housing and basic
amenities.
7. (xv) Providing disaster resistant technology, protecting housing and habitat development from natural
calamities like cyclone, flood, landslide, tsunami and earthquake.
(xvi) Encouraging small scale production units for building materials and components.
(xvii) Ensuring adequate availability of building materials, protecting and promoting our cultural
heritage, architecture, and traditional skills.
(xviii) Restructuring and strengthening the Kerala State Housing Board and Kerala State Nirmithi
Kendra (KESNIK) and network of Nirmithi Kendras.
(xix) Restructuring and strengthening of public sector organizations in the housing sector.
(xx) Removing bottlenecks and impediments related to legal, regulatory framework and revamping
the existing laws and regulations for creating and enabling environment for housing initiatives.
8. GENERAL EVALUATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING
SCHEMES
An analysis of the public housing schemes implemented reveals the following
factors:
1. Inadequate coverage of the marginalized sections of the society, destitute,
women headed households and the poorest of the poor
2. Need for more thrust in meeting the housing requirements of the landless
tribals, fishermen, and the traditionally employed, recognizing their
requirements on spatial and economic considerations
3. Inadequate supply of building material and skilled labor
4. The housing programmes implemented in a target driven mode with the
implementing agency chasing to achieve the physical and financial targets
set, with little concern for the participation of end users
5. Lack of social infrastructural facilities and poor supply of basic services to
the houses
6. Lack of holistic habitat development approach and inadequate livelihood
support programmes integral to the housing schemes.
9. CURRENT HOUSING PROGRAMMES AND
IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES
The major State government aided housing schemes for the
economically weaker sections are-
• Total Housing Scheme- It was estimated that there are 2 lakh
landless families and a total of 5 lakh houseless families in the state
as on June 2008. EMS total Housing scheme launched by
Government of Kerala aims at providing house sites to all landless
families and houses to all houseless families coming under the BPL
category
• Tribal Housing Scheme- The government has proposed
schemes for constructing houses for the tribes in Wayanad. This
includes the construction and distribution of around 270 houses for
the tribes in Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad. The construction cost for
each house is Rs 90,000. These buildings are completed and
distributed to them. The scheme also aims at providing financial
assistance of Rs.70,000 to Scheduled Tribes in three stages for the
construction of houses. Beneficiaries are selected by
Oorukoottam.(Tribal groups) application form
House under EMS total Housing
scheme
House underTribal Housing
Scheme
10. • New Suraksha Housing Scheme, schemes of SC & ST departments- In this scheme the
construction cost of one house is taken as Rs.1,00,000/- (having a plinth area of 30m2). The pattern
suggested is as follows: Share of beneficiary Rs.25,000/- Share of Voluntary organization
Rs.50,000/- Govt. Subsidy Rs.25,000/-
• Fishermen Housing Scheme- National Fishermen Welfare Fund Assisted Housing Scheme is
the programme is meant for providing housing to fishermen under the model village development
programme. The unit cost per house is Rs. 50000/-.The State Government have enhanced the unit
cost to Rs 2 lakh and is given to the beneficiary as 100% grant. The beneficiaries are registered
fishermen. The implementing agency is Department of Fisheries.
• Bhavanasree- is a micro housing loan programme initiated by Kudumbashree with the support of
banking institutions. The target group under this scheme comprises people who were members of
Kudumbashree NHGs across the state. Loan amount was issued for construction of a new house and
for repair and maintenance of existing house.
• Asraya and MN Lakshamveedu Punar Nirmana Padhathi- under the scheme , which is
named "M.N.Laksham Veedu Punarnirmana Padhathi" financial assistance for the reconstruction of
dilapidated twin houses into single units and reconstruction of single houses, is being implemented
through the Board. The Government subsidy will be 75,000/- for General Category, 1,00,000 for SC
Category and Rs.1,25,000/- for ST category. 50% of the subsidy amount will be given by Kerala State
Housing Board and the balance amount shall be met by the Local Self Government Departments.
11. BEST PRACTISES
STATE FOCUS ON SOLAR POWER IN RURAL
AREAS
First solar-enabled panchayat in Kerala-
Kochi: A small village in the outskirts of Ernakulum
is all set to become the first totally solar-enabled
panchayat in the state, with Bombay IIT's help. The
project is being implemented in a tie-up with the
Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the IIT,
Bombay.
12. CONCLUSION
• The State Government has targeted to launch housing schemes to
ensure adequate and affordable housing to all, on a sustainable
habitat development mode, integrated with livelihood support
systems and special focus on the needs of the poor and economically
weaker sections of the society on rights based approach.
• The Government has attempted to overhaul the legal, financial and
institutional framework so that the development is facilitated with
contributions from public, private, co-operatives, NGOs etc.
• The ultimate objective of the Kerala State Housing Policy is to ensure
“adequate and affordable housing for all leading to sustainable
development of human settlement, providing livelihood support
programme”.
• However, the public housing schemes in Kerala gives a rather
different picture and points towards the inefficiency of
implementation strategies with regard sustainability aspects.