The need for adequate shelter and increased employment opportunities worldwide has been intensified by rapid growth in population, poverty and unemployment, especially in the urban areas of developing countries. Yet, investment in housing has declined significantly. It is therefore essential, as emphasized by the Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 and by Agenda 21 of the United Nations' conference on Environment and Development, for governments to adopt realistic and flexible housing policies, and to encourage the development of an efficient and sustainable construction industry.; Th.

This Thorough And Wide-Ranging Study Considers Shelter Provision Not Only In Order To Meet Housing Needs But Also In Order To Generate Employment And To Contribute To National Income.