ABSTRACT
The definition of adequate and inadequate housing is often a source of confusion. What is adequate for one family may be inadequate in the eyes of a city architect or town planner. Here, inadequate housing implies houses that do not meet the minimum requirements of low-income families, do not satisfy local building regulations, and predispose to pest infestation and illness among the householders.1 With current rates of human population growth, the provision of adequate housing is expected to lag far behind demand, especially in the poorer sectors of tropical developing countries.2-3 Although precise data are unavailable, current estimates indicate that over 100 million people have no shelter at all, while around 1000 million lack adequate shelter.4-5 On present trends, these figures could be expected to more than double by the end of this century.
