Housing

Policies and
Strategies
PROFESSOR DR. KASPHIA NAHRIN
 Housing policy

Housing police is the policy

and strategic guideline/code

of action of the government

for housing supply and

availability.
 National Housing Policy in Bangladesh

Source: Akter and Akram (2020) Trend of National Housing Policy: Bangladesh Perspective (Can meet the challenge of housing for
all?), International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume IV, Issue I, 2454-6186
Policy options of National Housing Policy 2016

Planning
Land
Finance
Infrastructure
Building construction material and technology
Human resource management
Slum and squatter settlement

Rural housing
Social Housing: house reconstruction and rehabilitation in
environmentally disaster affected areas
Social Housing: housing for distressed, women headed family,
elderly and poor
Role of Government in Housing
 Turner has suggested seven basic needs for a balanced
housing policy in developing countries:

i) Upgrading existing slums,

ii) Adequate supply of land for new settlement,

iii) Providing security of tenure for the residents,

iv) Access of appropriate finance

v) Wider social and economical development, through job creation and small
business
vi) Appropriate technology, and

vii) Legislation supporting these aims.

Strategies of housing development

Site and Nuclear

Slum Slum
services housing/ core
upgrading resettlement
scheme housing

Taxation of
Direct /formal
Land ceiling Land pooling housing
construction
property
Site and services schemes
Site and services scheme
Major public housing land projects in Bangladesh
Planned layout in levels plot and furnished with services in each
property Occupants contribute for construction
Land procurement, site preparation, infrastructure provision, plot
development

Private investments, planned housing

Expensive neighborhoods –beneficial for high income, not low incomes.
Subsidized , Lack of affordability
Low density area
Earth filling of low lying areas
Slum rehabilitation/ resettlement
Outskirts of the city, Mohammadpur and
Mirpur

Relocation (eviction) and resettlement.

Conserve city land for purpose

Location without jobs or commuting

facilities
Loss of social-tie
Expensive, highly subsidized
Not sustainable
 Slum upgrading
In-situ upgrading
Conserve exiting housing
stock
Improves the environmental
quality through the
improvement in utility services
Less costly

Gradual development
Snow ball effects of
development
Locational advancement Land House rent will
tenure be increased,
Allows the existing social-tie problem gentrification
as no relocation
Nucleus housing/core/row
housing
Temporary shelter or small core unit
Example: Rohingya camp, river bank erosion
camp
Housing with low cost and local available
materials
Utility blocks - washstand, kitchen block,
 Direct construction or formal
housing
Government or real estate or private developers construct full-furnished
housing
Direct construction

Various standard – flexible

Private investment

Financial scheme

Lack of affordability of low income people

 Land ceiling
Preventing concentration of land to few persons/
households
The State, Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950 established a 33 acre land
ceiling on private landowners
The Land Reform Ordinance, 1984 limits future land acquisitions to
21 acres
Benami (ceiling avoiding) transfers to relations are
outlawed

Not separate for urban and rural Less effect in housing

Bangladesh provision
Land banking
Process of
advance
acquisition of
land by
government Mainly used for
Instrument to upper class housing
determine development
Instrument
the
to
character,
reduce/hold
density,
down urban
location and
land price
timing of land
development
 Land pooling/readjustment
Selling of some of the
Compulsory
Consolidation, plots and distribution
partnership
subdivision and of the remaining plots
between land owner
servicing back to the
and public authority
landowners

Partnership

Government agency consolidates land Land owners give up a No

parcels and designs, services and portion of their property compensation
subdivides them into a layout of streets, to allow for placement of Cost recovery
open spaces and serviced building plots infrastructure.
Taxation of housing property

Tax exemption
Prevent
and Reduce Prevents land
monopoly of
burdensome speculative use curve
land ownership
tax
Housing provision in developing
countries
 Housing policies in Developed
countries
Housing policies in Developed countries

Mass home Inclusionary

Housing benefits:
ownership: housing:
Financial assistances.
Direct supply- Social A municipal and
size subsidies, housing: Different forms- rent country planning
favourable rebates (paid to people ordinance
Public who rent from the
prices, A given share of
housing with councils), rent allowance
provision of new construction
a subsidized (paid to those who rent
mortgage to be affordable
rent from a private landlords or
finance, and by people with low
lending housing associations),
to moderate
conditions shared ownership
incomes
Task
1. What are the policy suggestions for housing provisions?

2. Discuss some housing strategies practiced in

developing countries.

3. Discuss some housing policy options for housing

provision in developed countries