Economics of multihabitation: Housing conditions, household occupancy and household structure under rent control, inflation, and nonmarketability of ownership rights

Abstract

Multihabitation, in terms of sharing facilities in a dwelling or extended family occupancy, is common in parts of the Third World. This paper uses the Ghanaian housing market to assess the impact of multihabitation on house condition and on household occupancy rates per room, as distinct from the influence of other factors on these variables. Multivariate statistical techniques form the method of analysis and the models have a high predictive accuracy. The impacts of current government policies, such as rent control, on house condition and occupancy rates is also discussed, along with cultural attitudes to ownership and obligations to the extended family.