Investigating the Impact of Pandemic on Housing with a Special Focus on Resident Perspective A Case of Chandigarh

Abstract

The pandemic once disturbed the overall functioning of the city during its peak in 2020- newline2022 and resulted in devastation for many sectors vis-a-vis housing, transportation, newlinehospitality, medical, and education. No country in the world was untouched by a surge in newlineinfections and can unsee the tangible or intangible impacts of the pandemic. The world was newlineunprepared and did not predict sudden city lockdowns, fast spread of infection, surge in newlinedemand of medical spaces, movement restrictions, reverse migration, social distancing, newlinewearing of masks, frequent use of sanitizers, home isolation, sanitation at home, and newlineworking from home, but managed to overcome the impacts of the pandemic through newlineawareness and policies. Categorically at all levels i.e., physical, economic, social, and newlinepsychological, impacts were seen during the peak of the pandemic where loss of jobs, social newlineisolation, mental health issues, and disturbing working areas were a few to count. Much newlinerequired resilience from the pandemic was provided only by the housing to safeguard people newlinebefore the vaccine came. newlineThe history of Pandemics is vast vis-à-vis Russian flu, the European influenza epidemic in newline1889, the Spanish flu from 1918-1920, the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720-1723, the newlineBubonic Plagues, influenza in 1918, and the US Pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 which newlinehad a devastating impact on the human population in the past. There were many lessons newlinelearned from past pandemics by epidemiologists, scientists, and doctors which suggested newlinethat the pandemic can be controlled by awareness programs on health and hygiene, social newlinedistancing, and avoiding crowded areas. Additionally, the provision of spaces for home newlineisolation, quarantine, working from home, wearing masks, and sanitizers also helped in newlinemitigating the surge in the pandemic. newline