Rights Based Approach and Housing for the urban poor

An analysis of the Slum Rehabilitation Schemes in Mumbai

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2006 in the subject Urban and Regional Planning, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: The present study seeks to understand and analyze the Slum Rehabilitation Schemes (hereafter SRS), designed specifically in the context of Mumbai, using a rights based approach. The SRS when studied from the rights based approach, is not merely seen as a policy of charity of providing free houses. Instead it is seen as a platform for various players to negotiate on mutually beneficial terms, in a participative manner. With the help of an empirical analysis, the study attempts to understand the translation of this approach into reality through the implementation of a particular programme, catering to a particular segment of population namely the slum dwellers of Mumbai. The study also points out the larger implications of the rights based approach to housing.