Shelter provision and employment generation

The need for adequate shelter and increased employment opportunities worldwide has been intensified by rapid grown in population, poverty and unemployment, especially in the urban areas of developing countries. Yet investment in housing has declined significantly. It is therefore essential, as emphasized by the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and by Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, for governments to adopt realistic and flexible housing policies and to encourage the development of an efficient and sustainable construction industry. This thorough and wide-ranging study considers shelter provi- sion not only in order to meet housing needs but also in order to generate employment and to contribute to national income. It examines the scope for self-employment and small-scale enter- prises, using labour-intensive methods, to provide income- earning opportunities in construction, as well as to increase demand in other sectors, while ensuring observance of interna tional labour standards. The book also addresses the questions of the home as a workplace for many millions of people, and of the indirect effects of a well-functioning housing supply system: the link between improved housing and increased productivity and well-being, and the possibility for community involvement in the provision of services and infrastructure, leading to greater social cohesion. This publication argues that the priorities of local and national governments, and of international development cooperation, should be to advocate and provide active support for develop- ment strategies based on labour-intensive shelter delivery, using local resources, thus linking the goal of shelter for all with that of full employment, in a common strategy for poverty reduction.