The current and worsening global shelter situation has become a serious concern, urging the need for scaling up housing supply and has become a focus of policy debate. The reasons and nature of these problems differ from country to country depending on local social, economic and political contexts. The housing situation in Kerala is quite different from other parts of India. Official estimates also predict that if the present trend in house construction continues, by the year 2006 all people in Kerala will have their own houses. However a closer inspection of the current housing scenario in Kerala reveals another side to this overall picture. Despite many positive advances, visible slum like areas still occur in human settlements in rural parts of the state and many inhabitants are deprived of basic facilities like drinking water and sanitation. The shelter problem having a multidimensional nature has its main roots in poverty is aggravated by the scarcity of resources, inadequate institutional capacities and legal and financial framework. It is recognized that adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development cannot be isolated from the broader social and economic development of countries. Also sustainable-affordable housing can not be realized without feasible and environmental friendly technological innovations. This paper reviews the present position of the ongoing PhD research on Sustainable- Affordable housing for rural Kerala and discusses the results so far.

Kerala, situated on the south- west coast of Indian sub continent is well ahead in the field of social development and better living conditions compared to other parts of India, in spite of its lower per-capita income and a nearly stagnant economic growth rate (Ramachandran, 1997). It is also one of the densely populated States (819 persons/ sq.km) with 3.43% of the total Indian population. The high population density of the state may be mainly due to good climate, fertile land and good rainfall. Over the past couple of decades, Kerala has drawn both international and national attention for its achievements in demographic transition with fertility reaching below replacement level and mortality under five. In terms of per capita income and production, Kerala with an agrarian economy is lagging behind many of the Indian states. However, in terms of Human Development Index and life standard of people Kerala is much ahead of most of other states in India. Also the housing situation in Kerala is quite different from other parts of India. Kerala has got a unique settlement pattern with the dwellings made in individual plots and scattered all over the habitable areas.