We need social housing reforms in Pakistan
Social Housing
Many people cannot afford to rent homes around the world which results in homelessness. Therefore governments help to provide the housing to the homeless people and also to those who are on low wages. This housing is called as government housing or social housing. People who are living in the government houses are called as social tenants. Social housing is very famous in Europe, USA, U.K., Australia and Canada.
How social housing works?
In west, social housing is the assistance to the poor or people on low wage to have access to housing. It works in two ways. Firstly, government provides the government housing to the people who are homeless or cannot afford to rent in the private housing market. Secondly, government pays the rent to the private landlord if government has no housing stock available. This works in form of benefits called as housing benefits. Let’s discuss how this process works in western countries.
1) Every council or district has its own social housing department. People apply for social housing assistance
2) Government assesses the circumstances of the family to know the level of assistance required
3) After assessment, government helps applicants according to their needs
4) Government provides council houses to homeless people. But, If government has no housing stock available, government provides the housing benefits to rent homes privately.
Providing social housing in Pakistan
To start social housing in Pakistan we need the following steps:
1) Detailed census of population & housing condition of families in Pakistan
2) Social housing committees should be developed in every district of Pakistan
3) Every district housing committee should construct social housing units
4) District social housing committee should provide these homes to the people who are homeless or cannot afford to rent
5) District housing committee should give housing benefits to the people who cannot be provided social homes due to unavailability of government homes, so that they can rent privately.