A Holistic Approach for Providing Affordable Housing to the Urban Poor of Nepal

Abstract

Housing is basic human need for civilized living but it has become one of the complex problems for the low-income urban dwellers even to afford a modest house in Nepal. This paper thus aims at analyzing housing problems, government policies as well as the prevailing methods adopted and their shortcomings. It investigates existing housing, demographic and socio-economic situation of urban poor and their voices regarding problems and possible solutions through questionnaire survey of Banshi Ghat squatter settlement, selecting it from the 61 such settlements of the Kathmandu city. The findings are analyzed and formulated the concept of a Holistic Approach1 to provide the affordable housing to all income groups with special consideration for low income people. This concept creates the mixed community consisting of employment opportunity of primary, secondary and tertiary activities with active collaboration of 3P’s (People, Public organizations and Private organizations) and supports the vision of the Human Settlement Section of UN ESCAP2. Finally, it compares the Holistic Approach with prevailing method showing its supremacy. © 2003, Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.