Rural Housing Schemes in Andhra Pradesh - A Study of Chittoor District : House as a man made environment

Housing is one of the basic necessities of human life, besides food and clothing. Housing is an important constituent of the quality of life. Lack of proper housing is considered an indication of social poverty. Majority of the families in Afro-Asian countries live in semi Pucca or kutcha houses and India is no exception. The demand for housing has been tremendously increasing due to alarming rise in the population on one side and collapse of kutcha houses (thatched) due to lack of proper maintenance natural hazards on the other. Keeping in view the serious implications of the social poverty on the overall human development, The United Nations declared 1987 as the "International year of the Shelter for the Homeless". As a result many countries have considered housing as one of the prime concerns in their national agenda. Housing is also an index of the socio-economic progress of a country. It is recognized as a productive activity, which stimulates employment and economic growth. It also provides the base for increased access to health, education, water supply and sanitation, especially for the poor and the vulnerable groups.