Housing characteristics and liveability of ‘line houses’ in Rakwana

Abstract

In the 19th century, the colonial British sought labour forces of Indian origin Tamils for fulfilling the labour needs of the Estate Plantation sector in Sri Lanka. These communities were provided with housing known as ‘Line rooms’. The majority of the migrated workers were single unmarried men and women, so the dwellings were created to fulfil the space needs of one person. But with time plantation sector communities were formed and these units became dwellings for families and extended families. The living conditions of these line rooms deteriorated through the years due to high density of inhabitants, lack of maintenance, and upgrades and unfit for human habitation. This research explores the residents’ perceptions on liveability of line rooms and its housing characteristics. 30 households are observed and interviewed in 3 housing schemes in Rakwana, Sri Lanka. The hierarchy of needs and liveability indicators as perceived by the residents are analysed using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). The study identifies the most important indicators for ‘liveability’ based on resident views. Results indicate that dwelling size, sanitary facilities and the household density are critical factors for liveability and need significant attention in the rebuilding of line houses for optimizing liveability.