Sustainable Housing Development for Urban Poor in the Batticaloa District: A Special Study to Manmunai North DS Division

Abstract

Poverty reduction approaches that have been developed for rural poverty reduction will not work in Urban areas, as Urban poverty is different in nature from rural poverty. To address urban poverty effectively, policymakers at the national and local levels need to have a good understanding of the nature of Urban poverty as well as accurate data that present its dynamics, trends and conditions. The objectives of this study is to explore the present housing conditions of urban poor in Manmunai North (MN) DS division of Batticaloa district. A self-developed questionnaires was used to collect primary data on housing conditions in MN DS division. Questionnaire 3,038 were issued to families who are living in own land temporary houses and unauthorized land temporary houses in 48 GN divisions. After excluding the double entry and invalid responses, the research ended with 1,409 valid and usable questionnaires. Focus group interviews also were done to bring the hidden facts. Study reveals that most of the poor people use tin sheet and Cadjan for roofing and their walls of houses were built by Cadjan, wood and tin sheet. Around fifty percentages of their houses were seemed sand and cow dung. In addition, all of them except few suffer from lack of proper drinking water without well and electricity connection. Finally, considering the number of huts, economic background of the area and other municipal service facilities, 10 GN divisions were identified as immediate assistance needed among 48 GN divisions. The study also reported that there are many barriers to the housing improvement in the area, such as lack of proper planning, poor involvement of community-based organizations, lack of extended municipal services, lack of livelihood support services, etc. Further, it is recommended to formulate a housing development unit, strengthening of rural development societies, secure tenure of housing, upgrading of infrastructure, livelihood support for poverty reduction and improving of service of government departments to improve the housing condition in the research area. Findings of this study will help to develop urban housing development plan and poverty alleviation in this area.