Index of Freedom from‘Want’ 7.4 Shelter Shelter refers to the basic human need for secure and safe living. Adequate shelter is vital for human well-being, survival, and health, and it is considered as a basic human right by the United Nations. The first indicator of shelter is the percentage of housing units owned in Pakistan. According to Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurement Survey (PSLSMS) of 2020-21, the percentage of housing units owned in Pakistan is 81.8%. The value of this indicator has declined in recent years as shown in Chart 7.3. The second indicator is the percentage of units with pucca roofs. With the passage of time, this indicator has shown a rising trend till 2018-19 and thereafter fallen slightly, with the index value down to 0.559 in 2020-21. The third indicator of shelter is the percentage of housing units with pucca walls. According to PSLSMS 2020-21, approximately 80% of housing units in Pakistan have pucca (permanent) walls. This is in urban and rural areas combined. It is worth mentioning that housing quality differs greatly among various regions and between rural and urban areas. As compared to rural areas, urban areas have a higher percentage of pucca housing units. In the recent time period, the value of this indicator has also fallen. Chart 7.3: Percentage of housing units owned and percentage of units with pucca construction The fourth indicator of shelter is the extent of congestion in housing as measured by the percentage of housing units with only one room. PSLSMS 2020-21 states that the percentage of housing units with only one room in Pakistan is 25.17 percent. This includes both urban and rural areas. However, it must be noted that rural areas have a higher proportion of housing units with only one room in comparison with urban areas. The value of this indicator has improved in the last few years. 55