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THEME PAPER
model was introduced in autonomy at the local levels ULBs can play a major part in
several South-East Asian in order to respond to local ensuring quality housing by
countries by the Asian contexts more appropriately using regulations to ensure
Coalition of Housing Rights (Mitra, 2021). that private landowners and
(ACHR) network of NGOs. developers make provision
Peruvian municipalities are The success of incremental for health and safety; land
assisted by universities and housing initiatives in large subdivisions with streets
NGOs for technical assistance part depends on the timing, of appropriate widths; and
to self-build. In the case of standard, and level of community open spaces while
cities like Medellin and Bogota infrastructure and services bringing affordable plots into
in Colombia and Sao Paulo provision (Wakely and the market. Services can be
and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Riley, 2011), which is the provided incrementally but
municipalities have their own responsibility of urban local it is important to ensure land
technical support units and bodies (ULBs). The large reservation for public services.
also involve professionals numbers of houses assisted ULBs can also undertake risk
and NGOs. with BLC funding have mitigation measures in areas
created the requirement prone to flooding, erosion
A point to be noted is for water, sanitation and or landslides and prevent
that unlike mass-housing, other municipal services in new self-built housing from
incremental housing is existing informal settlements developing in such areas.
always work under progress and in layouts and land
and requires hand-holding distribution schemes of some ULBs are in a good position
support for an extended state governments in peri- to co-ordinate between
period of time for variable urban areas. The PMAY-U different stakeholders in
needs of specific building Guidelines (Government incremental housing –
and retrofitting projects of of India, 2015) do mention households, community
households. This can only be that there is a need for ULBs based organisations, private
provided by local institutions. to ensure that all dwelling sector service providers,
units constructed under the and land owners, financing
Nurturing local BLC vertical are serviced institutions, government
government as a support with required infrastructure. departments, NGOs and
institution This responsibility requires building workers, thus
By the principle of subsidiarity, funding support, especially enhancing local organisational
for
incremental
capacity
self-built housing would best in tier two and tier three development and community
be managed and supported towns, where most of the BLC asset management and
through local institutions. units are located and where maintenance.
Local government institutions ULBs are under-resourced.
can play a major role in several The increased allocation and An interesting example
th
ways in providing services, emphasis of the 15 Finance of support to incremental
supporting households to Commission on development housing is the programme of
build better and ensuring of water supply, sanitation the municipality of Mexico
good quality supply of plots and health-care facilities in City, in which about 100,000
by the private sector. The all urban settlements is a step loans for house improvement
evidence from various towns which can greatly enhance or construction were given in
and cities of Madhya Pradesh the quality of BLC supported 5 years mostly to households
points to the need for more housing (Mitra, 2021). living in marginal areas. The
October, 2022, Volume 23. No.2 - SHELTER 21
