living and working: the function and design of housing for low-income homebased workers

LIVING AND WORKING: THE FUNCTION AND DESIGN OF

HOUSING FOR LOW-INCOME HOMEBASED WORKERS

Nandini Bhaskara Rao University of Michigan

Contact: nbhaskar@umich.edu

IntroductionPurpose To understand the spatial and social impacts of home-based work on the function and design of housing for low-income home-based workers.

Introduction

Hussain Sagar

River Musi

Mir Alam Tank

Hyderabad

Old City

IntroductionMethodologyQualitative Case Study Approach

Data Sources Semi-structured Interviews with 38 Female Homeworkers Ethnographic Field notes Photographs House Plans

Characteristics of Homeworkers

Distribution of Homeworkers by Income Generating ActivityEntrepreneurial activities: 58% Wage-based activities: 40% Unpaid Worker: 2%

Income-generating Activity

Freq

uenc

y7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Marital Status

SeparatedWidowedMarriedUnmarried

Freq

uenc

y

30

20

10

0

Characteristics of Homeworkers

Religion

MuslimHindu

Freq

uenc

y30

20

10

0

Education Level

CollegeVoc. Edu

<Gr 10<Gr 5

No Schooling

Freq

uenc

y

30

20

10

0

Distribution of Homeworkers by Religion

Distribution of Homeworkers by Marital Status

Distribution of Homeworkers by Education Level

Homeownership

OtherRentOwn

Freq

uenc

y20

10

0

Characteristics of Homeworkers

Distribution of Homeworkers by Homeownership Status

Own: 47%Rent: 32%

Other: 21%

Implications of Using the House for Income Generation

Availability of Space within the House Small houses – 5 to 20 sq.m One Room Units Most domestic and income generating activities occur within this space

Typical Floor Plan on One-Room Unit

Bed TV

Kitchen

Area

Work Area

Window

Door

Transitional Space

Storage under the

bed

P U B L I C D O M

A I N

P R I V A T E D O M A I N

Implications of Using the House for Income Generation

Private-Public Barrier: Utilization of Transitional SpaceChoice of location to work within the house based on Availability of light Ease of social interactionSocial benefits to homeworkers Access to public space otherwise inaccessible Opportunity to build/strengthen social/ community networks Access to information

Implications of Using the House for Income Generation

Temporal Segregation of ActivitiesDomestic and Income Generation activities done mostly within the houseActivities managed by creating a temporal separation Domestic activities: 5:00 AM – 10: 00 AM Productive activities: 10: AM – 5:30 PM Domestic activities: 5:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Need for segregation of activities Creates a psychological separation between paid and unpaid work Creates a separation between household (domestic) and individual (paid) work

Neighborhood Linkages and Impact on Home-Based Work

Availability and Usage of Common SpacesAvailability of Common Spaces in slum depends on Physical form of slum Building density in slum Nature of home-based work Acceptance of neighbors and community members Types of Common Spaces Courtyards and Front/Back yards Cul-de sacs Streets

Neighborhood Linkages and Impact on Home-Based Work

Availability and Usage of Common SpacesActivities in Common Spaces Ancillary productive activities – drying and finishing products, packaging and storing, Domestic activities – washing clothes and utensilsBenefits to homeworkers Reduces space constraints Access to common spaces allows homeworkers to be employed in activities they may otherwise opt out of Access to public domain and social networks

Neighborhood Linkages and Impact on Home-Based Work

Impact of Location on Availability of Semi-Public and Public SpacesAvailability of semi-public and public areas in slums depends on location of slum

Location and surrounding areas have an impact on Physical size of slum Physical size and shape of open spaces Acceptance by neighbors and community members of usage

Impact of Location on Homework Access to Consumers/Purchasers Access to Raw Materials

Hussain Sagar

River Musi

Mir Alam Tank

Hyderabad

Old City

Slums in predominan

tly residential

areasSlums in

predominantly

commercial areas

Urban Linkages and Implications on Home-Based Workers

Impact of Location on HomeownershipAvailability of landAffordability Housing OptionsOpportunity to consolidate housingOpportunities to legalize housing

Impact of Location on Availability of Employment Opportunities

Availability of employment opportunitiesChoices of employment availableAccess to private/government job/skill training programsLinkages to consumers and raw materials

ConclusionsSpatial Implications of Homework Severe space constraints

Stress on space increased - For space intensive activities – food preparation,

agarbatti and papad making, zardosi- In renter households- In slums in Old City- During monsoon and holiday season with more people in

the house Space constraint issues resolved by temporal segregation of activities

- Creates a psychological separation between paid and unpaid work

- Creates a psychological separation between individual and household work Utilization of transitional space between private and public domains

Empowers homeworkers by providing- Access to public spaces otherwise inaccessible – very

important for Muslim households living in Old City- Access to some public information/knowledge- Access to social networks

ConclusionsNeighborhood Linkages and Impact on Home-Based Work Availability and Usage of Common Spaces

Empowers homeworkers by - Decreasing the stress on space within the house, but

exacerbates problems during monsoon reducing productivity and therefore income.

- Increases employment options, otherwise hampered by space

- Increases access to public domain and social network Ability to use common space dependent on location and religion

- Muslim women in the Old City did not benefit from common spaces

-- slums in the Old City have few open space-- more men in the house/community during the

day -- social custom of purdah prevalent

- Hindu women living in slums in residential areas of Hyderabad benefit the most from the availability and usage of common spaces

ConclusionsUrban Linkages and Impact on Home-Based Work Impact of Geographic Location on Homeownership Rates

Increased opportunities- To own a house in slums in residential areas in

Hyderabad- To gain legal rights to illegally occupied land- Options for housing – more affordability to purchaseExtremely low chance- To own a house in slums in commercial and residential

areas in Hyderabad and the Old City- To illegally occupy land- Limited options for housing – expensive, poor quality

housing

ConclusionsUrban Linkages and Impact on Home-Based WorkImpact of Geographic Location on Employment Opportunities

Increased wage-based homework opportunities- For women living in slums in commercial areas in

Hyderabad and the Old City- For women with skills in zardosi, bangle and bidi makingIncreased self-employed homework opportunities- For women in Hyderabad with linkages to training

institutions

ConclusionsPlanning and Policy Recommendations When legalizing slums and consolidating housing through government programs retain and create common semi-public spaces for use of homeworkers and women Make provisions in government programs to provide homeownership for low-income households living in slums in commercial areas Provide more job/skill training facilities in the commercial areas of Hyderabad and the Old City

Other houses/homeworkers in

neighborhoodNeighborhood

Intra-neighborhood

Within House Inter-Urban Area

Inter-neighborhood

Intra-Urban Area

House

Community-wide Resources-Infrastructure-Finance-Suppliers-Customers-Employees

Nation/State/City-wide Resources

-Urban Infrastructure-Civic Amenities

-Financial Institutions-Training-Markets

MacroMeso

Micro

IntroductionConceptual Framework