Rural Housing: Agro-Socio-Economic Impact

The book on hand deals with one of the most important basic needs of civilized life, i.e. housing. Housing is an important dimension of development both in economic as well as welfare terms. Housing needs in Asia are far in excess of any thing imaginable in the industrialized countries of the First World. As a result of galloping increase in population, low income levels, low rate of accretion to the housing stock, housing is already a problem of alarming proportions in many developing countries. It is very disturbing to note that in rural India, where most of our people live, this basic amenity of life is inadequate and in deplorable state. As for the present study, the theoretical concerns informing the enquiry, in the main, are the magnitude of the problem of housing and more particularly the problem of housing the rural poor. The more important foci of study relate to the agro-socio-economic and environmental profiles of the rural housing colonies as well as the beneficiaries, their perceptions regarding implementation of the housing programmes, the problems faced by them in getting the house sites as well as construction assistance.