| Author | Edirisinghe, Janakie |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.HS-85-08 |
| Subject(s) | Public housing--Sri Lanka--Colombo
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| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The urban fringe of Colombo is largely an unexplored area in the matter of low income housing. The urban fringe land market and the formal sector housing delivery systems do not cater for the needs of low income households. The informal arrangements and methods of these household are much more effective in providing low cost housing. The present study investigated the low income housing delivery systems operating in the Colombo suburban area. Accordingly, case studies were made of five low income housing settlements in the Colombo suburban fringe area. Three of the case studies cover the three informal sector housing delivery systems in operation in the area. The first is a pure squatter settlement on government land. The second in a semi-legal type settlement involving self-build housing on private land and landowner housing development for rent. The third case study is a mini-squatter settlement located on marshy land and a statutory reservation. The other two case studies were of government sector low income housing projects. The fourth, is an aided self-help project implemented under the Government's Aided Self-Help Housing Programme of 1978-1982. The fifth case study is of a sites and services project implemented as a pilot project under the Government Million Houses Programme. The emphasis of the study was on assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of each delivery system with reference to the supply of land and housing for low income groups. The Main finding of the study is that the majority of low income people have the ability to construct adequate housing for themselves. These capabilities should be recognised and nurtured as a resource and encouragement should be given to making full use of it. in the case of squatter settlements where security of land tenure is lacking or uncertain, steps should be take to make their efforts in housing legal by the regularisation of tenure, wherever it is possible to do so. In the case of new settlement, the need is to enable low income households to purchase of lease a building plot that they can build their house on. Recommendations on these matters are made for inclusion in the Governments Million Houses Programme. |
| Year | 1985 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Archer, Raymon W. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Dias, Hiran D. ;Islam, Nazrul |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1985 |