Social production of habitat is an international term used to convey the process and product arising from the experience of people in a community collectively determining the conditions of their own habitat (dwelling place and living environment). Social production is found when people take the initiative to pose solutions to the problems arising from their living conditions. Partners in social production can be informal groups or local organizations, and/or other actors external to the community, such as NGOs, donors, private sector enterprises, professional associations, academics or government institutions, or any combination of these. Social production is usually characterized by a large measure of voluntary action and people’s agency.
In economic terms, social production involves people at the community level relying on them collectively to identify, exploit and increase local capital as assets in the development process.
From a social perspective, social production is a process (and product) that identifies exploits and further develops relationships within the community on an equitable basis.
From a human rights perspective, social production means collective action to satisfy human needs and, thus, realize human rights consistent with prevailing concepts of human dignity and fairness.