Housing and the Inclusive Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Housing and the Inclusive Society - Essay Example According to the EU, as per the Charter of its Fundamental Rights, and as quoted by the Joint Report by the Commission and the Council on Social Inclusion, adopted by the council (EPSCO) on 4th March 2004, the definition of Social Inclusion stands as â€Å"Social Inclusion is a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusions gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. It ensures that they have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives and access to their fundamental rights.† Poverty and other factors: Poverty is a factor that divides people into the haves and have not’s. However, when one looks at social inclusion, it is an aspect that can do away with poverty and in fact, unite people. Inclusion is a factor that stresses upon people that they should live together, and work towards a single purpose. Social exclusion takes place when certain people living in a society are pushed right to the edge because they do not have as many resources or means to live as others might. They do not possess the basic amenities and that is why, they are left out or face discrimination by other people. They do not have the ability to take control over their lives because they do not have any property to their name so they end up feeling so helpless and powerless. However, social exclusion is not always about only poverty; the term coined ‘les exclus’ referred to those whose income bracket did not meet sufficient standards. People can also face exclusion or be excluded from housing because they are disabled, or might have a different sexual orientation. When a person is excluded from society, this means that he has been stripped of all his participation powers and does not get a say in how things should work. That is why, much is being done to make sure that no citizen feels this way, and that everyone gets equal participation in the framework of tasks carried out within a society. (Atkinson, 1998) The private rented sector contributes to social inclusion and exclusion in the following ways: The housing systems in different economies are one of the main reasons why exclusion might take place. This includes that there might be many who are not able to afford the rent or pay their landlords the amount asked for, and thus are not able to get a house for themselves. People who have low or marginal incomes are not able to afford the rent and so are excluded from housing societies. The amenities provided inside, like the heating or the fuel systems and such other resources might not be affordable by the tenants waiting to take the house on rent. Apart from this, many disabled people just might not be able to live in homes that are not designed for their needs, for example, they might not have stairs for wheelchairs, an d thus these people cannot live in such accommodations. Many landlords still practice discrimination today, and everything cannot be checked by the governments at all times. Many potential tenants do not even have the information about housing locations and this leaves them out of the private rented sector, and otherwise, they are located in specific areas, thus leading to exclusion of people who do not belong to those areas. In order to fix these problems, much could be