This National Housing Policy is intended to arrest the deteriorating housing conditions countrywide and to bridge the shortfall in housing stock arising from demand that far surpasses supply, particularly in urban areas. This situation has been exacerbated by population explosion, rapid urbanization, widespread poverty, and escalating costs of providing housing. The shortage in housing is manifested in overcrowding, and the proliferation of slums and informal settlements, especially in peri-urban areas. In rural areas, the shortage manifests itself in the poor quality of the housing fabric and lack of basic services such as clean drinking water.