Redefining shelter: humanitarian sheltering

Shelter has been described as one of the most 'intractable problems' in humanitarian aid and yet there is little clarity on the over-arching definition of shelter. The terminology for shelter and housing is often conflated, and further to this, the most prominently used definition does not fully reflect the recent progress the shelter and settlements sector has made. These progressions include a movement from 'product' to 'process', and a recognition of the wider impacts of shelter, including livelihoods, health, economic stimulation, education, and reduction of vulnerability. This paper explores the varying terminology utilised in definitions of shelter within humanitarian aid since 1990, reflecting on the concepts of 'shelter' and 'housing', alongside the surrounding perceptions of 'house' vs 'home, and related measures of adequacy. The current, most prolific definition is also deconstructed, demonstrating the ambiguity in some of the terminology such as 'dignity' and 'privacy', and identifying that the interpretation of this definition is dependent on the knowledge of the reader. Finally, a new definition of 'sheltering' is proposed, encompassing five key reflections: the concept of process over object; inclusion of communities as well as individuals; the commonality of long-term sheltering; the wider impacts of shelter; the impact on host communities and environment. This definition is proposed in conjunction with the needs defined in the UN-HABITAT definition of 'adequate shelter', with the caveat that adequacy of those needs, and the sheltering response, should be determined by the affected population.