POLICY GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING LOW-INCOME HOUSING OF DHAKA CITY

Abstract

Low-income peasants, victims of natural disasters, famine and war, together with a vast number of unemployed and under-employed people comprise the bulk of the low-income population of Dhaka City. The most striking feature of the low-income group of Dhaka City is that they comprise a large proportion of the city’s population but share only a tiny proportion of the city’s area. Because of financial hardship, these people are often forced to live in slums and squatter settlements in a sub-human condition. With the rise of poor people in the city, the number of these settlements are increasing day by day, and consequently housing situation is aggravating. This study identified the major housing problems of the low-income people of the city, and the key constrains to resolve these problems. After identifying the housing problems of the low-income settlements of the city, the merits and demerits of different low-income housing programs of Bangladesh are studied. On the basis of the experience and inferences of the latter, policy guidelines and suggestions are made to improve lowincome housing of Dhaka with the overall objective of improving the quality of life of the people.