Band 9 essay sample: Should government provide free housing to the poor?

Essay topic

Sample essay

Global economy may have developed considerably over the last few decades; however, millions of people still do not have homes. This problem is particularly worse in developing and undeveloped countries. Some people argue that the government should take care of this situation by providing free housing to the poor. That demand certainly sounds logical; however, I don’t think that it is the best solution.

To start with, the government can’t provide free housing to all poor people. Any such attempt will put too much pressure on the public exchequer. The government already has a lot of other things to take care of. For example, in India, the government provides free education and free medical care through government schools and hospitals. Many government colleges and universities even provide higher education free of cost. There are also several government schemes for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in urban areas. In the tribal areas, too, the government provides free housing to the homeless.

Having said that, providing free homes to all poor people in the country does not seem possible. A better solution is to make homes more affordable. If homes are unaffordable, that is because of the exorbitant land prices. The government can make homes less expensive by allotting government land at concessional rates and waiving taxes on the homes built on this land. Low cost housing projects can be launched all over the country. Only basic amenities should be provided in these homes to make them more affordable.

To conclude, although I do not think that government should provide free housing to all homeless people in the country, I am in favour of the government launching low cost housing projects. The government should also consider giving free land to the landless. These initiatives will certainly make homes more affordable and solve the problems of the poor to a great extent.