• Decentralisation & local government
• Decentralisation
• Local governance

Decentralisation & local government

This study analyses the implementation of housing schemes for the poor through the Panchayats in Kasargod District of Kerala. It highlights severe procedural constraints in the effective implementation of housing schemes through Local Self Governments (LSGs), including:

• LSGs identify beneficiaries for housing support and provide financial instalments after the beneficiary household finishes each stage of construction. This practice encourages the use of poor quality materials either by the households themselves or by corrupt contractors, who are entrusted with the construction work
• the current guidelines provide for sector-wide spending, mandating a specific percentage of resource allocation on specific sectors (social, productive, etc.) and activities - this restrains the ability of panchayats to prioritise housing in their expenditure pattern and more flexibility in the allocation of plan resources for LSGs is essential
• in all the housing schemes currently being implemented through panchayats, the amounts of subsidy are pre-determined fixed amounts - to avoid misuse of resources - and LSGs do not have much scope for taking specific requirements of the household or the locality into account
• some households cannot get housing support since they do not have land titles - a concerted intervention of the district administration is needed for solving this problem
• gender issues need to be addressed in relation to financing for housing, since LSG gives support to the ‘household’ as a single unit, there is no guarantee that all members of the household get the benefit of the support
• households should be made aware of their responsibility to maintain their houses and some kind of long-term awareness building exercises which highlight the linkages between housing, environment, health and welfare are essential

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