Types of Housing

Housing generally refers to a type of shelter or accommodation where people live. It can come in various forms, such as apartments, houses, townhouses, condominiums, and mobile homes. The type of housing that people choose to live in often depends on their lifestyle, income level, family size, and personal preferences.

Housing is a basic human need and is considered a fundamental right by many countries. It provides people with a sense of security, privacy, and comfort, and can also be a source of pride and identity. However, access to adequate housing is not always guaranteed, and many people around the world struggle with issues such as homelessness, housing affordability, and poor living conditions.

Governments, non-profit organizations, and private developers often work to provide affordable housing options and improve living conditions for people in need. This can include initiatives such as public housing projects, rent subsidies, and home ownership programs.

Different Types of Housing

Housing can be divided under following category

A. Occupancy type
- Owned dwelling Units
- Quarters ( dwelling units allotted/provided by employer private/public for specific period of time)
- Other rented /hired accommodations
B. Type of Construction
- Single Detached House
- Semi Detached House §Row House
- Tenements – Group Housing, Apartments/Flats- Low rise, Mid rise and High rise, Skyscrapers
- Slums, Chawls, Bastees

C. Type of structure : The structures have been classified into three distinct categories, on the basis of the materials used in construction thereof.
- Pucca,
- Semi-pucca
- Katcha,

Housing classifications : Based on the Occupancy

Owned dwelling Units – A household has owner-like possession of the occupied dwelling constructed on a plot of land taken under long-term lease (usually 30 years or more) then it is treated as “owned”. Likewise, the dwelling unit possessed under a long-term lease by the household has also been treated as under owner-like possession i.e. “owned”.

Quarters – The accommodation occupied is provided or allotted by the employer, Public or Private, to any member of the household on lease or on rent for a short term then the dwelling has been treated as “quarter”.

Other rented /hired accommodations – The dwelling is leased or rented in by the household on its own for which payment is made periodically then the occupancy is treated as hired and classified under “other hired accommodation”.

Housing classifications : Based on the type of construction

Single-Detached House – A single dwelling not attached to any other dwelling or structure (except its own garage or shed.) A single-detached house has open space on all sides, and has no dwellings either above it or below it.

Semi-Detached House – One of the two dwellings attached side by side (or back to back) to each other, but not attached to any other dwelling or structure (except its own garage or shed.) A semi-detached dwelling has no dwellings either above it or below it and the two units, together, have open space on all sides.

Row House – One of three or more dwellings joined side by side (or occasionally side to back), such as a town house or garden home, but not having any other dwellings either above it or below.

Apartment or Flat – An apartment or a flat consists of 3-15 storey and each floor or storey may accommodate 2-4 tenements. The Land and other common amenities appurtenant to flats are shared by all the occupants. The individual flat owner has no future scope either vertical or horizontal expansion.

Skyscrapers – The growing need of land and consequently sudden shooting rise in price of land in big and metro cities further led the concept of multi-storeyed buildings, popularly known as skyscrapers.

A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many floors, usually designed for office, commercial and residential use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper and at which height it may not be considered a high-rise anymore.

Group Housing – A housing society or apartment associations is a situation popular in India with a group of house owners within a residential complex, usually one consisting of buildings that each have flats. A housing society’s apartments or premises are formed as per relevant laws for smooth functioning of utilities and other amenities provided to them. The housing society formed must be formally registered with registrar of co-operatives. In India, each state has its own rules in this regard. Each building in same premise may have separate housing society or one. Many housing societies form one federation. Housing societies run on the service charges levied by them on house or flat owners. Some of the housing societies in Mumbai are cash rich, having millions of rupees in their bank account.

The Managing Committee takes care of the affairs of the Housing Society like appointment of service providers, maintenance of Society premises, solving member’s grievances, maintenance of books of accounts and taking care of safety and security.

It can also be defined as a third type of domestic architecture which accommodates the group rather than the unit and is therefore public as well as private. It is familiar through the widespread development of mass housing in the modern world, in which individuals or families find living space either in multiple dwellings or in single units produced in quantity.

Housing home page

Dwelling Unit

Types of Housing

Housing as Important component of Development

Determinants of housing form

Housing demand & Housing need

Housing Shortage

Housing Age

National Housing Policy & CM’s Jan Awas Yojana -2015

Social Factors Affecting Housing

Housing affordability : Affordable housing

Slum up-gradation

Core Housing

Community Housing

Housing Standards – As per IS 8888 (part-I) : 1993 Indian Standard OF LOW INCOME HOUSING – GUIDE

HOUSING FINANCE

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Housing and Environmental Planning.pdf

Housing X Sem.pdf

Environmental Planning.pdf

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