City to arrange housing for urban poor
Says Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is planning to arrange housing facilities for the city’s poor and marginalised population.
The city corporation will take initiatives to build affordable houses by adopting a need-based coordinated plan to tackle the growing housing crisis.
RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton revealed this while addressing a city-level consultation meeting titled “Advancing Inclusive and Resilient Development Targeted at the Urban Poor” at Rajshahi City Bhaban conference hall yesterday evening.
The meeting was told that Brac and International Institute for Environment and Development are jointly conducting a study in the city on improving living conditions and livelihood of the poor and distressed population through freeing them from the vicious cycle of poverty.
Brac Climate Change Environment Programme Specialist Dr Mijanur Rahman presented a keynote paper, detailing the issue.
Mayor Liton said some 240 slum dwellers are now living in brick-built houses as they got community housing in the city. They had just moved to their new houses, which they constructed with support from Community Housing Development Fund.
Earlier, each of the beneficiaries who had land but no house was given loan worth Tk 2 lakh for building their house.
Liton said proper housing for people living in urban poverty has become a prerequisite to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG-11), and ensure planned urbanisation and continued economic progress of the city.
He focused on stronger collaboration between the government and nongovernment organisations, and involving public representatives and other relevant stakeholders to promote plans for people living in urban poor areas.
He also suggested implementing community-led housing models that accommodate the urban poor in city areas and help improve their living standards.
Chaired by RCC Chief Executive Officer Shawgatul Alam, the meeting was addressed, among others, by its panel mayors Shariful Islam Babu and Tahera Khatun, Secretary Abu Hayat Rahmatullah and Chief Revenue Officer Shahana Akhter Jahan.