Investigating the impact of socio-economic determinants on quality of life of slum dwellers in Delhi NCR

Abstract

The subject of urban poverty and growing slums is a central issue of the fast urbanizing regions and especially in the urban regions of Delhi NCR where large problems of housing, sanitation, health and livelihoods are grossly deficient in the informal settlements that a large proportion of the workforce coincides with these high numbers of shanty towns. The necessity to ameliorate the life particularly of the slum inhabitants is critical in fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals where the goal 11 that deals with precoitally included and shabby urban condition. This paper aims to address the multidimensionality of the determinants of the quality of life among slum dwellers apprehending eight critical issues, which comprise holistic development deficiency, long-term sustainability, incorporation of the informal economy, community needs evaluation, community participation, economic facilities, integration of infrastructure and affordable housing. The trials used a mixed method. Primary data delivery was carried out by administering a standard questionnaire to 850 slum dwellers in Delhi who achieved an overall sustainable response of 674 following extrusion. Focus groups were used to conduct a pilot research in developing the instrument. Convenience and snowball sampling has been utilized in sampling since people in the slums are dynamism. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis with the add-on theme insight developed during focus group discussions were used to analyze data. The results show the use of cheap housing, community involvement, and economic-community opportunities are the most significant differentiators of better quality of life as the sustainability of the need and needs assessment are highly crucial interchangeable connections. Poor infrastructural constructions with holes and missing links are still the bane of sustainable development. The implications in the future include the fact that it ought to be holistic, participative and rights based methodology. Long term planning should be strategic and this demands that policy makers integrate housing and livelihood with infrastructural developments and identify slum dwellers as an emerging stakeholder in the urbanization processes.