RAJSHAHI, Oct 18, 2019 (BSS)- Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is intended
to arrange housing facilities for the city’s poor and marginalized 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 yesterday evening as chief guest.
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.