ABSTRACT

1. ABSTRACT:
Urbanization is a significant aspect of the global order these days. The skyrocketing increase
in the cost of land and housing prices have prompted the question of housing affordability for
low and moderate-income households, especially in supply-constrained, high-cost cities such
as Kolkata. A vast majority of slums are located near the urban economic centers, which
experience a greater rate of urbanization compared to the rest of the cities. Slums possess a
great threat and challenge to the urban planners and policymakers as they provide shelter to
people who do not have a secure source of income. The rapid urbanization rate has led to lack
of ability to provide the necessary infrastructure and basic amenities and services to the
increasing influx of population in the city. Urban development policies are closely associated
with the question that how affordable and adequate they are to meet the current housing
shortage. In this paper, we try to review the slum rehabilitation projects launched under the
Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) policy and establish a rational nexus between
affordability, adequacy, viability, and security of tenure, which forms the condition of housing.
By identifying the socio-economic and policy issues, this paper provides a more holistic
approach to the problems, for a better direction to tackle the challenges of slums at the national,
state, and local level.
KEY WORD: Slums, Housing, informal-settlements, Policy, Relocation, Kolkata