Issues of Living Wage/Housing - Term Paper Example

Paper ‘Issues of Living Wage/Housing’ With the extension of labors in global markets, many countries are in search for a tool which deals with policy addressing increasing work at low-wage as well as working poverty. Now the question is, does the movement of living wage recommend any way in order to help in diminishing inequality and poverty? This living wage phrase was initially introduce in the era of 1800s, when the activist and scholars argued that employers must willingly bring an increase in labor wages and it should be implemented as something mandatory so that when the wages are paid to employees they are high enough so that they can support themselves and their families. However, majority people assume that a single male who is the main source of income, earn more than enough to support himself and his family. There was not at all a mutual agreement on in what ways a living wage can be define, however, there were number of administrative bodies and governments who take initiative in taking up the mission of developing multifaceted formulas (David, pp. 6-11) In modern times, this phrase living wage has reoccurred in United States of America. In the period of early 90s, focus was given more on jobs with low wage. Protesters in Baltimore, Maryland suppress their government to look for a policy tool so that their problems can have proper solution. The city then passed an ordinance known as living wage ordinance according to which any firm which hires workers must pay their employees or workers a good living wage. The idea was spread quickly in every part of the country. Today, after approximately seventeen years later, in 140 cities, multiple countries and countless universities this living wage ordinance is implemented. This ordinances and campaigns vary with respect to defining living wage, their impact, and who and how will it cover, and their impact, however, the broad-spectrum of the “living wage” have great public support. Apart from everything else, the experiences gained by the people from the entire world have revealed from time to time that the recognition and acknowledgment of the right is quite complex. If we take an example of Africa, whether its inside or outside of the country, simple, convenient and generally appropriate solutions of this problem are not at all available (Syagga, pp.125-136). After some calculations, it is anticipated that more or less one-fifth of the entire population of the world are suffering from lack of adequate shelter, on the other hand, approximately a million or more people, mostly children, die every day due to lack of proper housing majority of which are targeted in developing world. There were many scholars who argue that it is quite complicated to make standardized criteria for sufficient housing in this entire world but there are some general norms which are: authorized security of residence, availability of infrastructure and services, accessibility, habitability, affordability, cultural and location adequacy. The rapid expansion and development in many cities go along with speedy increase in the total number of urban residents who reside in overcrowded and sub-standard conditions. The statistics of developing countries illustrate that town inhabitants represent approximately an average of twenty five to sixty percent of the population in urban areas. The current situation shows that the estimated percentage of urban population who lives in intense poverty is more than fifty percent; however, this may rise to almost seventy nine percent in most of the cities. More than one billion of urban dwellers are included in urban poor, whereas low income groups consist of approximately half of the existing urban population (Moser & Satterthwaite, 1985). Over the past three eras, there were many programs of official housing started in developing countries were unsuccessful in order to reach significant segments of the group, particularly households which are below twenty to thirty percent of the entire population. The exploration for clarifications to several problems for providing housing to low-income actually continues so that the attention of National government and administration, International organizations and agencies within the charitable sector can be captured easily. This issue has become predominantly alarming when it comes to rapid expansion of the population having low-income in various cities as well as towns. Government of Kenya analyze the housing problem in the light of its essential faith which states that the well organized housing with reasonable values or standards, when come to an agreement with crucial services, affords pride and dignity, with a sense of protection and appropriate status within the society for each and every individual. However more than eight million population of Kenyan resides in an unfit human shelter or live in poorly constructed structures and houses that is considered to be as a shelter. The situation of housing is not different in many cities of Africa with respect to various urban centers. Residential housing’s demand has been increased twice as fast as that of supply which leads to substantial increase in the cost of land along with house-rent and that of over-crowded residential areas. Swift growths in population and industrialization have given rise to the improvement of informal and semi-permanent structures which have been occupied as houses by people belong to low-income groups. Approximately more than half of the city’s population resides in these unplanned structures which are of high-density and are inefficiently serviced. In order to overcome this problem the foremost important and essential measure which needs to be implemented is to educate residents or groups belong to low-income. It is also very important to bring awareness in people about how environmental quality and personal hygiene benefits them in order to maintain good health. They must be aware and enlightened of the fact that the money they are spending on housing along with other services is of quite value. There is a necessity to be familiar with informal collectors of waste and how to incorporate them in the system of urban waste management. This separation of debris or waste must be conducted at primary level that is house hold; for which incentive system should be initiated so that waste generation and production can be minimized. Bibliography Davis, Mike. "Planet of slums." New Perspectives Quarterly 23.2 (2006): 6-11. Moser, Caroline, and David Satterthwaite. "Characteristics and Sociology of Poor Urban Communities." a UNICEF, WHO/OXFAM workshop on Community Health and the Urban Poor, Oxford, England, July. 1985. Syagga, Paul M. "Promoting the use of appropriate building materials in shelter provision in Kenya." Habitat International 17.3 (1993): 125-136. Read More