Scaling-up of climate resilient housing in Gorakhpur, India / Dilip Singh and Bijay Singh.

Includes bibliographical references.

The poor in cities are faced with dual challenge – that of housing shortages and of increased vulnerability to climate change impacts, given the location of their houses as well as their capacities to recover. More often than not, housing for the urban poor is not only an asset, but also a place for income generation.

Based on consultations with key stakeholder groups in Gorakhpur city in eastern India, this paper examines the housing vulnerability challenges faced by the urban poor. The paper analyses the existing constraints within the current financial mechanisms for home mortgages, especially for low income group households; the lack of technical capacities of the local masons on low cost and climate resilient building techniques; and the absence of information at the household level towards creating a demand for climate resilient housing construction.

Recognising and revamping the micro-finance mechanisms to cater to the housing needs of this section of the population (labourers, daily wagers, petty shop owners, etc.) who do not have the necessary documentation, such as proof of income and land titles, are some of the suggestions put forward to improve the cost and accessibility of financing. Building the capacity of local masons on climate resilient building techniques – as part of the government’s skills development programme – is also an important part of resilience building at the local level for the urban poor. To create a demand for climate resilient housing, there is a need for awareness generation amongst the people, coupled with policies that mandate the linking of home loans with resilient designs and techniques.