LIFE Page

Mission LIFE (Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) envisages a comprehensive housing scheme for all the landless and homeless in the State. Housing, being the very basic requirement that holds the key to accelerate social development in many ways, the Government of Kerala launched the LIFE.

The target of the mission is to provide safe housing to nearly 4.30 lakhs of homeless in the State within a period of 5 years. Among the homeless, about 1.60 landless families have been historically excluded from various housing schemes of the past. The programme is named as LIFE (Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment) Mission and the homeless will be provided with modern housing complexes with provision for pursuing their livelihoods, converging social services including Primary Health Care, Geriatric Supports, Skill Development and provision for financial services inclusion. The mission will also help those who received assistance from other schemes but could not complete the construction and move into a safe house. Priority will be given to coastal population, plantation workers and those who stay in temporary shelters in government lands. It envisages a situation where the beneficiaries will be empowered and their active participation is mobilized in the maintenance of housing complexes.

For the government of Kerala, one of the most important tasks is to provide roof over the head of each family in the State at the earliest.

Mission Life aims at:

*  Assuring the secure feeling of an own home

*  Helping to make houses for those who have land

*  Assuring homes in apartments for 1,58,000 landless people

*  Geriatric care

*  Palliative care

The government is undertaking a massive housing campaign to build houses for 1.58 lakh families who are without land or roof over the heads.

The mission is not just confined to providing housing alone but also financial empowerment ensuring livelihood means. The government has set a target of rehabilitating all landless and homeless within  the next five years.

According to estimates 3 cents of land would be required per family for independent houses which means a total of 6,000 acres for 2 lakh families. Considering the huge shortage of land, the Government plans to build housing complexes which would require 1,140 acres of land.

Social security schemes will be initiated in the housing complexes, as well as skill training for adults among the beneficiaries. The project will be coordinated between the departments of local self-government and social welfare.

For more information, visit: www.life2020.kerala.gov.in