Housing

Introduction

The concept of housing in the modern context encompasses more than just the “physical structure providing shelter.” It also includes the immediate surroundings, community facilities, and related services. Housing, often referred to as human settlement, is where individuals reside and pursue their family goals. Adequate and secure housing plays a crucial role in the overall well-being of individuals and families within a community.

If houses are poorly constructed with inadequate sanitation, they can lead to accidents and diseases, negatively impacting the welfare of the entire community. Therefore, quality housing is essential for promoting good health, security, shelter, and comfort.

Definition

In 1961, a WHO expert group on public health aspects of housing introduced the term “residential environment.” This term can be defined as the “physical structure that humans use and the surrounding area of the structure, encompassing all necessary services, facilities, equipment, and devices required or desired for the physical and mental health, as well as the social well-being, of both the family and the individual.”

Goals of housing

1. Shelter: Providing a secure and comfortable physical structure for individuals and families to live in.
2. Family life: Creating an environment that supports and enhances family life, including spaces for activities, interaction, and the overall well-being of family members.
3. Access to community facilities: Ensuring that residents have convenient access to essential community services, facilities, and resources, such as schools, healthcare, and recreational areas.
4. Family participation in community life: Encouraging and facilitating the active involvement of families in the broader community, fostering social connections and a sense of belonging.
5. Economic stability: Contributing to economic stability by providing affordable housing options, minimizing financial burdens, and creating opportunities for residents to pursue employment and economic advancement.

Criteria for Healthful Housing

An expert committee from the WHO has recommended specific criteria for healthful housing, which align with the Basic Principles of Healthful Housing published by the American Public Health Association. These criteria are as follows:

1. Physical protection and shelter: Healthful housing should provide adequate physical protection and shelter for its occupants.
2. Adequate space: The housing should offer sufficient space for essential activities such as cooking, eating, washing, and excretory functions.
3. Prevention of communicable diseases: It must be designed, constructed, maintained, and used in a manner that prevents the spread of communicable diseases.
4. Protection from environmental hazards: Healthful housing should protect residents from hazards related to exposure to noise and pollution.
5. Safety and absence of harmful materials: It should be free from unsafe physical arrangements resulting from construction or maintenance, and it should not contain toxic or harmful materials.
6. Promotion of personal and community development: Healthful housing should encourage personal and community development, foster social relationships, and reflect a consideration for ecological principles, thereby promoting mental health.

Additionally, recognizing the seismic risk in Nepal, the government has incorporated earthquake-resistant features in housing construction, especially in valley areas and hilly regions. This measure aims to enhance the resilience of structures and mitigate the impact of earthquakes in what is considered a high-risk region for seismic activity.

Types of housing

The types of housing can vary based on a variety of factors, including climate, community characteristics, socio-cultural standards, and economic standards. Here’s an overview of how these factors can influence the types of housing:

Climate:

Tropical climates: In areas with warm climates, houses might be designed with open spaces, natural ventilation, and materials that help regulate temperature.

Cold climates: Housing in colder regions may feature insulation, centralized heating systems, and designs that minimize heat loss.

Community:

Urban areas: High-density apartment buildings and townhouses are common due to limited space.

Suburban areas: Single-family homes with larger yards are more prevalent.

Rural areas: Housing may include single-family homes, farmhouses, or traditional dwellings that suit the local environment.

Socio-cultural standard:

Cultural practices: Certain cultural preferences influence housing styles, such as traditional architectural designs or specific materials used.

Social norms: The size and layout of houses might be influenced by societal expectations and norms.

Economic standard:

Affluent areas: Higher-income neighborhoods may have larger, more luxurious houses with modern amenities.

Low-income areas: Housing may consist of smaller, more affordable units, such as apartments or modest single-family homes.

Needs of housing

1. Physiological needs: A house must fulfill essential physiological aspects, providing shelter, security, relaxation, and recreation. It should be well-constructed, well-ventilated, and well-lit to ensure comfort. Basic human needs, such as access to clean water and other necessities, should be readily available. Meeting these needs promotes efficiency in daily activities, contributing to the satisfaction of self-esteem and self-actualization.
2. Psychological needs: Psychological needs, encompassing privacy, security, love, and belonging, are crucial. A well-maintained house reflects an individual’s status in the community, garnering respect from family members and contributing to a sense of satisfaction in owning and maintaining a clean and comfortable home.
3. Health needs: A ventilated, clean, and well-lit house with proper water supply, drainage, sewage facilities, and a well-arranged kitchen promotes physical, mental, and social well-being. Such housing reduces the risk of diseases by eliminating factors like insects and rodents. It ensures a healthy living environment for the household members.
4. Protective needs: Good housing provides safety from natural elements like fire, rain, wind, flood, heat, cold, and accidents. It also ensures physical security from theft and protects residents from potential dangers like wild animals. Additionally, well-maintained housing safeguards against electrical issues, addressing physical, mental, and social concerns.

Standards of Housing

The standards of housing are broadening according to changing concept. But some minimum standards must be maintained by building regulation to improve the housing and environmental condition within the limited availability of resources. The standards are as follows:

1.  Site

• The site should be elevated from its surroundings so that it cannot flood during rain.
• The site should have independent access to a street of adequate width.
• The subsoil water should be below 10 feet. It should be away from a breeding place for mosquitoes and flies.
• It should be away from health hazards such as dust, smoke, bad odour excessive noise and traffic.
• It should be in pleasant surroundings.
• The soil should be dry and safe for founding and should be well drained.

2. Set Back (Open space around the house)

• For proper lighting and ventilation, there should be an open space all around the house.
• In a rural area, the setback should be two third of the total area,
• In an urban area, the setback should be one-third of the total area.
• The set-back should be such that there is no obstruction to lightening and ventilation.

3. Floor

• The floor should be pucca.
• It should be impermeable so that it can be easily washed and kept clean and dry.
• The floor must be smooth and free from cracks and crevices to prevent the breeding of insects and harborage of dust.
• It floor should be damp proof
• The height of plinth should be 2 to 3 feet.

4. Walls:

The walls should be:

• Reasonably strong
• Weather resistant
• Should be low heat capacity i.e. should not absorb heat and conduct the same
• Unsuitable for harborage of rats and vermins

5. Roof

• The height of the roof should be less than 10 feet in the absence of air conditioning.
• The roof should have a low heat transmittance coefficient.

6. Rooms

• The number of living rooms should not be less than two, one can be closed for security and the other may be open on one side. The number and area of rooms should be increased according to a size of a family so that the recommended floor space per person is adequate. The acceptable standard room per person is as follows;
• 1 room=2 persons
• 2 rooms=3 persons
• 3 rooms =5 persons
• 4 rooms =7 persons
• 5 or more rooms =10 persons (additional two for each further room)

The room should be separate if 2 persons over 9 years of age not husband and wife of opposite sexes are not obliged to sleep in the same room.

7. Floor Area

The floor area of a living room should be at least 120sq ft. for occupancy by more than one person and at least 100 sq. ft. for occupancy by a single room. The floor area available in living rooms per person should not be less than 50sq. ft. The acceptable standards of floor area are;

• 110 sq. ft. or more =2 persons
• 90-100 sq. ft. =1 or 2 persons
• 70-90 sq. ft. =1 person
• 50-70 sq. ft.=1\2 person

8. Windows

• Every living room should have at least 2 windows and at least one of them should open directly onto the open space.
• The windows should be placed at a height of not more than 3 feet above the ground in the living rooms.
• Windows area should be 1/5th the of the floor area.
• Doors and windows combined should have 2/5th the of the floor area.

9. Kitchen

• Every house must have a separate kitchen. The kitchen must be protected against dust and smoke, smoke should have provision for an outlet of smoke, adequately lighted, provision of water supply, provided with arrangements for storing food, fuel, and others. Should have sink for washing utensils with proper drainage. The floor of the kitchen should be adequate.

10. Lighting

• The daylight factors should exceed 1% over half the floor area.

11.  Latrine

• Every house must have a sanitary latrine. It should have adequate space and clean and exclusively belonging to one family.
• The toilet should be water seal with adequate water and drainage system.

12.  Bathing and washing

• The house should have facilities for bathing and washing belongings. It should have proper privacy. Adequate space is also required for drying the clothes.

13. Garbage and refuse:

• There must be provisions for the daily removal of garbage and refuse, ensuring their sanitary disposal.

14. Water supply:

• The house should have a safe and continuous supply of adequate water at all times.
• These standards emphasize the importance of maintaining a clean and sanitary living environment by addressing waste disposal and ensuring a reliable water supply within housing regulations.

Effects of poor Housing on Health

Housing is an integral part of the overall human environment and, being a crucial component, plays a significant role in determining the state of an individual’s health and promoting overall well-being. It ranks as the second need in Maslow’s hierarchy, contributing to the physical health of individuals. However, if housing conditions are poor, it can lead to various bodily, psychological, and social problems. Some of the effects of inadequate housing are outlined below:

1. Respiratory problems: Poor housing conditions contribute to the spread of respiratory infections such as the common cold, tuberculosis, influenza, bronchitis, measles, and whooping cough. Overcrowding facilitates the rapid transmission of infectious diseases, while inadequate ventilation increases the risk of airborne diseases like tuberculosis. Additionally, poor housing design can worsen health impacts from exposure to temperature extremes, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
2. Skin infections: Inadequate housing conditions may lead to skin infections such as scabies, ringworm, impetigo, and leprosy.
3. Rat infections: Poor housing conditions may contribute to the spread of diseases carried by rats, such as the plague.
4. Arthropods: Various arthropods, including houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas, bugs, and lice, may thrive in substandard housing conditions.
5. Accidents: Many household accidents, such as falls, slips, cuts, and other accidents, are often caused by poor housing and environmental conditions.
6. Psycho-social effects: Inadequate housing, especially in overcrowded areas, can lead to psycho-social effects, including a sense of isolation, anxiety, neurosis, depression, behavioral problems, decreased self-esteem, and lack of self-confidence.
7. Morbidity and mortality: Regions with substandard housing often experience higher rates of morbidity and mortality, indicating the direct impact of housing conditions on health outcomes.
8. Fecal-borne diseases: Poor housing conditions with inadequate sanitation contribute to fecal-borne diseases, particularly gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea and dysentery. These problems arise from improper management of sewage, sullage, refuse, and sludge.