The article is a report on the HABITAT convention held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976 to discuss settlement policies and strategies. The 1976 Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements embodied the set of general principles and guidelines for action in the field of human settlements. The Declaration proposed “opportunities and solutions” for ameliorating housing conditions. It started with recommending the formulation of human settlement policies aimed at improving the quality of life beginning with the satisfaction of basic needs, especially of the most disadvantaged people.
