A Study on housing approaches for the "Low - Income" in Sri Lanka with special reference to their "Socio-Spatial" organizations

Abstract

House is a medium through which a person gives an expression to himself. The house; a person builds embodies certain features of the owner's character, initially fashioned by the inherent views and attitudes of the community, which he belongs to. The environment in which he is nurtured, the social group to which he belongs too, plays a significant part of moulding his out look and ambition in life. The past housing endeavours have mostly been recognized as concepts of actualising the dwellers quantitative requirements. Thus may have been mere provision of tangible human comfort and lacked the perceptual stimulation of home. It could be said, therefore that many housing schemes have not provided the stipulation for dwellers psychological, physical social and cultural manifestation that are essential for their existence. The approach of providing housings for urban low income is one such strategy, which lacked in qualitative aspects and coherently, has been a snatch in the recent past. They provided a different built environment where occupants were used to. Hence inevitable Changes began to occur, when they moved into these housing schemes. The buill environment provided, rapidly modified and personalized according to the needs and life style of occupants, to fulfil their psychological, physical social and cultural aspects and to create intimate perception of home beyond the parameters of mere housing. But no doubt that there is no "profit" factor to the govemment by providing housing for low-income people. Therefore every strategy has to be economical to make such projects viable. It was identified by previous scholars, that the socio-spatial organization is vital among the low-income community unlike high or middle-income categories. They are being socialized or forced to socialize due to several factors. These factors have multiple effects' on space and sociability of these community groups. The attempt of this thesis would be to analyse those prevailing socio-spatial organisation to go for the "rational" implication to provide better life for the low-income community.