Dr Manveer Singh MBBS, MD Contact: drmanveersingh21@gmail.com DM on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/singh_mveer/ Standards of Housing and effects of Housing on Health

1. Dr Manveer Singh
MBBS, MD
Contact: drmanveersingh21@gmail.com
DM on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/singh_mveer/
Standards of Housing and
effects of Housing on
Health

2. What is housing?
• "Housing", in the modern concept includes not
only the 'physical structure' providing shelter,
but also the immediate surroundings, and the
related community services and facilities.

3. Housing
contd.
“All placesin which agroup of people reside
and pursue their life goals”
- The size of settlement varies from a
single family to millions of people.

4. Social Goals Of Housing
•( 1) Shelter :
• That the house should provide a sanitary shelter,
which is a basic need.

5. (2) Family life:
• That the house should provide adequate space
for family life and related activities, viz
preparation and storage of food, meeting,
sleeping, individual activities and other basic
activities.
• The adequacy of housing at this level has been
found to have a direct impact on such things as
worker productivity and family stability.

6. (3) Access to community facilities :
• A third element of housing is accessibility to
community services and facilities such as health
services, schools, shopping areas, places of
worship etc.

7. (4) Family participation in community
life :
• Family is part of the wider community.
• Community is important to family in many ways
- it can offer help in times of need; it is an
important source of friends.
• Communities are able to pool their efforts and
improve their living conditions.

8. (5) Economic stability :
• Housing is a form of investment of personal
savings.
• It provides for economic stability and well being
of the family.

9. For implementation of social goals it requires
that government should
• (1) introduce social housing schemes;
• (2) establish both minimum and maximum
standards;
• (3) create financial and fiscal institutions geared
to helping low income people obtain credit for
building or improving their houses.

11. Expert Committee of the WHO has
recommended the following criteria
• Provides physical protection and shelter
• Provides adequately for cooking, eating,
washing and excretory functions
• Is designed, constructed, maintained and used to
prevent the spread of communicable diseases
• Provides for protection from hazards of exposure to
noise and pollution

12. Contd.
• Is free from unsafe physical arrangements
due to construction or maintenance, and from
toxic or harmful materials
• Encourages personal and community
development, promotes social relationships,
reflects a regard for ecological principles and
finally promotes mental health

14. Standards in India
- Per capita space and floor space
- Family income
- Family size and composition
- Standard of living, lifestyle
- Stage in life cycle
- Education
- Cultural factors

15. Points to remember
• Standards of housing varies from country to
country and from region to region.
• In short these cannot be rigid and uniform
standards

16. Site
- Elevated from its surroundings so that it is not
subject to flooding during rains
- Independent access to a street of adequate width
- Away from breeding places of mosquito and flies
- Away from nuisances such as dust, smoke, smell,
excessive noise, and traffic.
- should be in pleasant surrounding
- soil should be dry and safe for founding the
structure and should be well drained.

17. Site – Contd.
• "Made-soil", i.e., ground that is levelled by
dumping refuse is very unsatisfactory for
building purposes for at least 20 to 25 years.
• The subsoil water should be below 10 feet (3
metres).

18. • Set Back
- It is the open space all around the house which
allows proper ventilation and lightening
- In rural areas - should not exceed one third of
total area.
- In urban areas- allowed upto two-third of total
area.
- The set back should be such that there
is no obstruction of lighting and
ventilation.

19. • Floor
• Should be Pucca and satisfy the following criteria:
• should be impermeable
• must be smooth and free from cracks and
crevices
• it should be damp-proof
• the height of the plinth should be 2-3 feet (0.6 to
1 metre)

20. Walls
Reasonably strong
 Should have a low heat capacity
 Weather resistance
 Unsuitable for harbor of rats and
vermin
 Not easily damaged
Smooth
Standard 9 inch brick with wall
plastered smooth and colored
cream or white

21. • Roof
-Should not be less than 10 feet (3 mtr) in the
absence of air-conditioning for comfort.
- should have a low heat transmittance co-efficient

22. Pucca and Kuchha House
• Pucca houses are
strong houses.
• They are made up of
wood, bricks, cement,
iron rods and steel.
• Flats and bungalows
are pucca houses.
• Such houses are
called permanent
houses.
• Kutcha houses are
made up of wood, mud,
straw and dry leaves.
• A hut is a kutcha house.
Some people live at one
place for a very short
time.
• They build houses that
can be moved from one
place to another.
• Such houses are called
temporary houses.

23. • Caravan, tent and houseboats are examples of
temporary houses.
• Gypsies live in houses on wheels called
caravans.
• A house made of cloth is a tent.
• A houseboat is a floating house.
• Many soldiers live in tents in their camp.
• A house made of snow or blocks of ice is called
an igloo made by Eskimos in very cold places.

24. Houses with brick walls but corrugated tin roofs (i.e. cannot
take another floor) are semi-pucca

25. • Rooms
- should not be less than two, atleast one of them
can be closed for security
- the other may be open on one side if that side
is a private courtyard
- The number and area of rooms should be
increased according to size of family, so that
the recommended floor space per person may
be made available.

26. Floor Area
• Should be at least 120 sq ft for more than one
person and
• at least 100 sq ft for single person
• floor area per person should not be less than
50 sq mtr

27. Windows
- Every living room should be provided with atleast 2
windows and one of them should open directly on to
an open space
- the windows should be placed at a height of not more
than 3 feet (1 m) above the ground in living rooms
- windows area should be 1/5th of the floor area doors
and windows combined should have 2/5th the floor
area.

28. • Lighting
• the daylight factor should exceed 1 %
over half the floor area.

29. Kitchen
- Must have a separate kitchen
- Must be protected against dust and smoke
- adequately lighted
- provided with water supply
- provided with arrangements for storing food, fuel and
provisions;
- provided with a sink for washing utensils
- fitted with arrangements for proper drainage
- Impervious floor

31. Privy
• A sanitary privy is a must for every house,
belonging exclusively to it and readily
accessible.

32. • Garbage and refuse
- Should be removed from the dwelling at
least daily
- disposed of in a sanitary manner

33. • Bathing and Washing
• house should have facility for bathing and
washing belonging exclusively to it and
providing proper privacy

34. Water Supply
• House should have a safe and adequate
water supply available at all times.

35. PART - 2

36. RURAL HOUSING-:
• Minimum standard suggested-:
- There should be at least two living rooms
- Ample verandah space may be provided
- The build-up area should not exceed one-third of
total area
- There should be a separate kitchen with a
paved sink or platform for washing utensils

37. • The house should be provided with a sanitary latrine
• The window area should be at least 10% of the floor area
• There should be a sanitary well or a tube well within a
quarter of a ample from the house
• It is insanitary to keep cattle and livestock in dwelling
house.
• Cattle sheds should be at least 25 feet away from
dwelling houses.
• A cattle shed should be open on all sides an area
8ft×4ft is sufficient for each head of cattle
• There should be adequate arrangement for the
disposal of waste water, refuse and garbage.

38. Housing and Health
• a strong relationship can be established between
poor housing and the following conditions

39. (1) RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
• Common cold, tuberculosis, influenza,
diphtheria, bronchitis, measles, whooping
cough, etc.

40. (2) SKIN INFECTIONS :
• Scabies, ringworm, impetigo, leprosy.

41. (3) RAT INFESTATION :
• Plague.

42. (4) ARTHROPODS :
• Houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas and bugs.

43. (5) ACCIDENTS :
• A substantial proportion of house
accidents are caused by some defect in the home
and its environment.

44. (6) MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY :
• High morbidity and mortality rates are observed
where housing conditions are sub-standard.

45. (7) PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS :
• These effects must not be overlooked.
• The sense of isolation felt by persons living in
the upper floors of high buildings is now well
known to have harmful effects.
• Often, also, people living in densely populated
urban areas feel a similar sense of isolation
which may lead to neurosis and behaviour
disorders.

46. Overcrowding
• Overcrowding refers to the situation in which more
people are living within a single dwelling than
there is space for, so that movement is restricted,
privacy secluded, hygiene impossible, rest and sleep
difficult .
• risks for physical health –
▫ infectious diseases- rapid spread
• psychosocial health
▫ irritability, frustration, lack of sleep, anxiety, violence
and mental disorders.
• Children are said to be more affected.

47. (1) PERSONS PER ROOM:
Number
of
Room(s)
Number of
Persons
1 2
2 3
3 5
4 7
5 or > 10

48. • Cubic Space :
• at least 500 c.ft per capita
• preferably 1000 c.ft
Floor Area Number
110 sq. ft. and > 2 persons
90-110 one and half
70-90 One
50-70 Half (children between
1-10 years)
Under 50 Nill

49. Sex Separation
• Overcrowding is considered to exist if 2 persons
over 9 years of age, not husband and wife, of
opposite sexes are obliged to sleep in the same
room.

50. Indicators of Housing -
• measurement of quality of life.

51. Physical
• These are based on floor space, cubic space,
room height, persons per room, rooms per
dwelling, environmental quality
▫ Air
▫ Light
▫ Water
▫ Noise
▫ Sewage disposal

52. Economic
• Cost of the building
• Rental levels
• Taxes
• Expenditure on housing

53. Social
1. Indicators related to prevention of disease
2. Indicators related to comfort
3. Indicators related to mental health and social
well- being

54. Indicators related to prevention of
Illness
• (1) Frequency of illness due to inadequate
sewage and garbage collection.
• (2) Frequency of illness associated wit
contaminated water source.
• (3) Frequency of insect borne diseases
• (4) Frequency of illness due to overcrowding.
• (5) Frequency of illness due to accidents.
• (6) Frequency of illness due to proximity to
animals.
• (7) Access to medical facility.

55. Indicators related to comfort
• ( 1) Thermal comfort
• (2) Acoustic comfort
• (3) Visual comfort
• (4) Spatial comfort.

56. Indicators related to mental health
and social well-being
• (1) Frequency of suicides in the neighbourhood
• (2) Neglected and abandoned youth in the
neighbourhood
• (3) Drug abuse (including alcohol) in the
neighbourhood.

57. • Introduction by Govt
• social housing schemes
• Establish both minimum and maximum standard
• Create financial and fiscal institutions geared to
helping low income people obtain credit for
building and improving their house.
The Implementation of social goals in
housing

58. Public Policy
• House site and construction assistance
• Indira Awas Yojna (IAY)-: Introduced in central
sector in 1985-86 as part of the rural landless
employment guarantee programme.
• -one room, one kitchen attached with
latrine, bathroom and a smokeless
chullah(Stove).

59. Newer Policies – Short NotesNEET

60. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
(Urban)
• Also called the Housing For All scheme,
• launched in 2015 and aims to deliver houses for
the homeless by 2022.
• provide home loan interest subsidy of three to
four per cent for a home loan amount of up to Rs
9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh for those buying their first
home in urban areas.
• So far, over 3 lakh homes under PMAY (urban)
have been constructed against a target of 40.6
lakh by 2022.

61. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana
• Previously known as Indira Awas Yojna,
• focuses on providing pucca houses with basic
amenities to homeless families.
• objective to build one crore homes of 25 sqm by
2022.
• financial assistance by sharing the cost of
construction with the state in the ratio of 60:40
in plain areas and 90:10 for north eastern and
hilly areas.

62. Cont.
• cost for assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh is also provided
to the beneficiary belonging to households
without shelter, destitute/living on alms, manual
scavengers, tribal groups and legally released
bonded labour.
• So far, about 28.8 lakh homes have been
constructed against a target of 1 crore by 2022.

63. Rajiv Awas Yojna
• 2009 - envisages a slum-free India and
encourages state and UTs to bring all illegal
constructions within a formal system.
• To increase the affordable housing stock under
the scheme, the Centre has approved the
Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)
scheme to be part of the RAY.

64. Cont.
• The scheme also provides support of Rs 75,000
per economically-weaker sections (EWS),
Dwelling Units (DUs) of the size of 21 to 40 sqm.
So far, over Rs 1,398 crore has been spent while
nearly 46,000 houses have been developed
under the scheme.

65. Other State Policies
• Delhi Development Authority Housing Scheme,
2018
• Tamil Nadu Housing Board Scheme (TNHB)
• Maharashtra Housing And Area Development
Authority (MHADA), 2018
• NTR Urban Housing Scheme