Dwellings

Dwellings are structures or spaces designed for human habitation. They provide shelter from weather, security, privacy, and a place to sleep, eat, and perform daily activities. Dwellings vary widely in size, form, and construction and may be owned, rented, or shared. The term covers permanent residences as well as temporary or mobile living arrangements.

Common permanent dwellings include single-family houses, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums. Collective or communal housing encompasses housing cooperatives, public or affordable housing, dormitories, and other shared arrangements. Temporary or seasonal shelters include tents, yurts, cabins, and vacation homes. Mobile dwellings cover boats, houseboats, caravans, and recreational vehicles. Some dwellings are adapted for accessibility or special uses, such as care homes or student housing.

Construction and design respond to climate, culture, and available materials, and typically include foundations, walls, a roof, and services such as water, sanitation, heating or cooling, and electricity. Design aims to ensure safety, ventilation, daylight, privacy, and energy efficiency. Zoning regulations, building codes, and land-use planning influence where and how dwellings are built, while connections to shared infrastructure affect utilities and waste management.

Housing plays a central role in social organization and urban development. Over time, patterns have shifted from compact rural dwellings to dense urban housing and now to a mix of urban, suburban, and rural forms. Public policy often seeks to improve affordability, security of tenure, and quality of housing through subsidies, rent regulation, public housing, and development programs. Sustainability considerations encourage durable construction, energy efficiency, and low-impact materials, alongside efforts to reduce housing-related environmental burdens and address housing rights and accessibility.