Housing transformation and livelihood outcomes in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

New trends in urban growth in Accra have put many poor households at a detriment, and there is a growing fragility that threatens the economic and social balance of residence in public estates resulting in many transforming their residence to cope and as a new form of urban resilience. This study examines housing transformation and livelihood outcomes in one of Ghana's largest low cost government estates, constructed in 1975 in Accra. The authors collected field data using questionnaires, interviews, observations and field pictures. The study revealed that housing transformation in public estates are a strategy to address shortfalls' associated with the physical design, structure and construction paucities, especially in living space, lifestyle and size, and for addressing pecuniary and livelihood challenges through home-based enterprises. Household needs and household assets were the significant factors affecting transformations. This study is important for policy making in developing countries because it provides a basis for policy implementation for urban and regional planners. Housing and building policies must be swotted to reflect the effort of local performance in housing supply and livelihoods. Housing design and construction must also be realistic to the current needs, lifestyle and resource availability of low-income households instead of relying on passé colonial regulations which are inappropriate for current living conditions.