International Labour Organization
REGIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN TOKYO, SEPTEMBER 1953
Information received from Mr. E. J. Howenstine, one of the Delegates.
The International Labour Organi- C. Since short life housing can be their families is a vital element in zation held a regional conference in produced with the resources, unskilled their concept of rising living stan- Tokyo during September 1953. The labour, and little processed materials dards". Committee on Housing was set up at which are in plentiful supply in most the conference at its third sitting on countries, a large scale programme of Chapter 2-THE CAUSES UNDER- 15th September to consider the second short life housing for workers is fully LYING THE PRESENT PROBLEM It item on the programme which was compatible with an overall programme states that the basic factors that the various housing problems in for rapid economic development.
contribute to the acute housing pro- Asian Countries. During the general
blem throughout Asia is the low man- discussion members from many coun- d. Permanent housing involves the hour productivity and the consequent tries including those from the Union use of resources which may be scarce low level of annual income per head. of Burma, Ceylon. China, France, India. in certain areas such as skilled and A second factor is the limited capacity Japan. Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, semi-skilled labour, cement, iron and of the construction materials indus- the United Kingdom and Viet-Nam steel, etc. The construction of per- tries. A third is the competition for presented statements containing in- manent housing on a large scale the limited supply of available re- formation on housing conditions and should be considered of high priority sources for all types of urgent programmes in their respective coun- where these facilities are available, development projects. The high rate tries.
The substitution of housing in such of population growth is а fourth cases with unskilled labour is not factor. During the first half of the Agreement on several major issues practicable.
twentieth century the population of emerged in the course of the discus-
Asia increased by 414 million or nearly sion. There was general agreement Other points of the Resolution fifty percent and it was extremely on the urgency of the housing pro- covered the appropriate allocation of difficult to overcome the tremendous blem including workers' housing, and scarce construction resources, the sub- backlog of housing need that is on the principle that every worker stantial Improvement of housing required merely to accommodate the and his family should be provided standards. and a recommendation annual increase in population and with decent housing. It was also that a statutory body be established family formation. Fifthly during the generally agreed that the main pro- within the central government with twentieth century there has been a blem was finance, material resources, principal responsibility to study needs rapid and large scale movement of and land, of which the first appeared and formulate long term programmes population from the country to cities to the Committee to be the most im- for public and private housing.
with the_resulting overcrowding in portant. The specific points discussed
poorly built, insanitary slums. by the Committee included priorities It also recommended the imple-
large influx of refugees superimposed and controls concerning construction mentation a policy resources, the co-ordinating body in Decentralisation: the development of on the long term process of organiza- tion and the number of dwelling units and powerful incentives to that were destroyed during the war
workers
of
of
Urban
and their Co-
housing, minimum standards, the operatives to improve the housing
nical assistance.
The
the central organization, incentives new for workers to improve their own stimulate
was of course the most serious con- tributing factor to this state of affairs. development of a national program- conditions by home ownership and
Another important factor impeding me, urban decentralization, the in- aided self-help; Governments should creasing of the supply of building take specific measures to ensure that expansion in housing development materials
activity has been the discouraging and equipment, efficient land may be acquired easily and outlook for the investment in rental contractors, and international tech- cheaply for workers' housing purposes; housing. Rent controls seriously appropriate minimums of standards of planning, building, health, and fire dampened the incentive to invest in The resolution adopted by the Com- protection are observed in the con- the unstable political and economic rental housing particularly in face of mittee on Workers' Housing specifical- struction and maintenance of housing
climate in many areas. Finally ly included principles and conclusions and community facilities.
natural causes such as typhoons. which it believed provided a suitable basis for the promotion of workers'
It also recommended the possibili- conflagrations and earthquakes have housings in Asian countries such as: ties of utilising the various types of destroyed over 534.000 homes in the technical assistance which are avail- six-year period in this part of the 1. Adequate housing accommoda- able in Asian countries and from the world. tion and related facilities are one of United Nations and the International the essentials of a good life, one of Labour Organization and other the fundamental requisites of an specialised agencies. efficient, satisfied working force, and one of the foundations of satisfactory community life.
Chapter 3-ACTION BY WORKERS The possibilities of urban and rural co-operatives and the role of trade unions are discussed.
Chapter 4-ACTION BY EMPLOY-
The actual report on the workers' housing problem in Asian countries is a document containing 177 pages and The Conference accordingly recom- contains a wealth of information and ERS Although employers have made mended inter alla that:
guidance for the preparing of both a significant contribution to the solu- tion of workers' housing problems by public and private housing program- a. The extent of the provision of
housing either providing
free of mes. It is divided into 13 chapters. workers' housing and related facilities The following is a brief summary of
effect is a relatively small proportion -notably water supply and sewerage the more important chapters:
of the problem. disposal would directly affect the productive capacity of the economy.
charge or at subsidized rents, the
Chapter 1—THE NEED FOR HOUS-
Chapters 5 & 6 ACTION BY ING In the introduction it says "In
GOVERNMENTS National housing b. Further improvements in work- Asian countries where many people ers' housing standards which will are literally homeless and sleep in the programmes and the formulation of housing policies are discussed as well immediately affect the welfare of the streets and where the bulk of the as measures to expand the capacity of people but which will interfere with population lives in small, badly ven- the building industry i.e. the measures the increasing of the productive tilated, insanitary hovels, the need that can be taken by government to capacity economy need to be weighed for improved housing speaks for improve the quantity and quality of carefully against other possible uses itself. For the individuals concerned building materials available. the decent housing for themselves and system of control and allocation; the
of resources.
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