RAJSHAHI: Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) likely to arrange housing facilities for the city’s poor and marginalised population for their welfare.
The city corporation will take initiatives to build affordable houses through 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 the city bhaban conference hall here on Thursday evening as chief guest, reports BSS.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.
The meeting was told that Brac and International Institute for Environmental and Development (IIED) are jointly conducting a country study in the city for improving living and livelihood conditions 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 living in brick-built house driving out their long-lasting living life in thatched or mud-house 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 (CHDF) and recently phase-out Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction Project.
Earlier, each of the beneficiaries having land but not house were given loan worth Taka two lakh for the house building purposes.Liton, however, said proper housing for the people living in urban poverty has become a prerequisite to achieve sustainable development goal or SDG-11, and ensure planned urbanisation and continued economic progress of the city.
He focused on stronger collaboration between the government and non-governmental organisations and involving the public representatives concerned and other relevant stakeholders to promote urban plans for people living in urban poor areas.
Besides, Liton suggested implementing community-led housing models those accommodate urban poor in city areas and help improve their living standards.
