Decent Housing Research Articles

The Locations of Palestine and the U.S. in the Global Map of Homelessness: Part I.

It's now well appreciated that social determinants of health are the strongest predictors of our health and well-being. A good argument could be made that housing is at the top of the pyramid of these determinants. And, surprisingly, housing is also the social determinant that could rapidly turn on a dime-that is, with sufficient political will, creating access to housing could be radically expanded in short order. (Unfortunately, of course, it's true one can also become suddenly homeless, since few protections exist in policy or capitalist economies to prevent it). That alone sets it apart from social factors such as education and racism-conditions that take a long time to change. In contrast to long-term interventions (education) or culturally stubborn and historically rooted problems (racism), housing is rapidly malleable. In this article, we describe the social condition of homelessness in two settings, comparing and contrasting the concepts, causes, and consequences, along with how people are mobilizing to challenge the conditions that create their housing insecurity. As we review the factors that create housing conditions in each setting, we propose some universal international principles for a new approach to the human right of decent and secure housing.

LEGAL JUSTICE FOR LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES IN BALANCED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

This research investigates legal protection for low-income communities in the context of balanced residential development in Indonesia. The study aims to analyze the policies and regulations surrounding balanced housing development while identifying solutions to promote social justice for low-income people (MBR). Grounded in Law No. 1 of 2011 on Housing and Settlement Areas, which mandates the government to address housing needs for MBR, the research reveals various implementation challenges. Utilizing a normative juridical approach, the analysis employs legal protection theory, development law theory, and human rights theory as frameworks. Findings indicate significant obstacles, including limited land availability and rising land prices, which hinder low-income individuals' access to decent housing. The research underscores the necessity for stricter legal protections and adaptable policy measures to achieve the objectives of balanced housing development effectively.

The brazilian house: from Oca to My House, My Life

The present article addresses the development of housing typology in Brazil, from indigenous dwellings to "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" homes. The objective is to succinctly recount the trajectory of Brazilian housing typology, a rich and multifaceted narrative reflecting the country's cultural diversity and socio-economic challenges over centuries. The development of social housing projects aims to provide decent housing for low-income families, generating demand for labor and reducing unemployment. The proposed methodology is based on a historical and comparative approach, using bibliographic and documentary sources to examine transformations in architecture and Brazil's socio-economic context over the years. Furthermore, the article specifically studies the "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" program, providing a qualitative analysis of its effectiveness in promoting access to decent housing and its social, economic, and environmental implications.

Self-supervised learning unveils urban change from street-level images

Cities around the world are grappling with multiple interconnected challenges, including population growth, shortage of affordable and decent housing, and the need for neighborhood improvements. Despite its critical importance for policy, our ability to effectively monitor and track urban change remains limited. Deep learning-based computer vision methods applied to street-level images have been successful in the measurement of socioeconomic and environmental inequalities but did not fully utilize temporal images to track urban change, as time-varying labels are often unavailable. We used self-supervised methods to measure change in London using 15 million street images taken between 2008 and 2021. Our novel adaptation of Barlow Twins, Street2Vec, embeds urban structure while being invariant to seasonal and daily changes without manual annotations. It outperformed generic pretrained embeddings, successfully identified point-level change in London's housing supply from street-level images, and distinguished between major and minor change. This capability can provide timely information for urban planning and policy decisions towards more liveable, equitable, and sustainable cities.

Decoding the puzzle: exploring the factors influencing homeownership in Togo

Purpose This study aims to analyze the factors influencing households housing tenure choices in Togo. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied a rigorous econometric approach, using Harmonized Household Living Conditions Survey (EHCVM) data from 2018 and 2021 to construct a longitudinal panel, and Unified Basic Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (QUIBB) data from 2006, 2011 and 2015 to construct a pseudo-panel. Findings The study reveals that a household’s life-cycle variables like age of the household head, marital status, household size and place of residence, have a significant influence on homeownership. In addition, households in the highest wealth quartiles and used heads of household are more likely to own their home. Research limitations/implications Housing policies focused on improving the financial sustainability of low-income households and reducing the transaction costs associated with property acquisition are essential to promoting homeownership. Practical implications As part of the implementation of the Government Roadmap 2020–2025, the government has committed to providing 20,000 affordable social housing units, aiming to significantly boost the supply of decent housing. However, the findings of this study highlight the need for targeted subsidy programs for low-income households, particularly for female-headed households and those living in urban areas. These subsidies could cover part of the cost of purchasing homes. For middle-income households, it is crucial to develop suitable financing mechanisms, such as low-interest mortgages and loan guarantees. Given demographic pressures and the high cost of public housing programs, promoting self-build remains essential. This support should be accompanied by the provision of low-cost building materials and technical training in innovative, sustainable construction methods. Additionally, improved access to employment and land regularization are essential prerequisites for the success of these initiatives. Originality/value Research on the determinants of tenure choice is relatively limited in sub-Saharan Africa due to the unavailability of housing survey data. This paper proposes a case study of Togo, whose housing market characteristics correspond to most sub-Saharan African countries. Furthermore, this study applied two methodological approaches commonly used in dynamic analyses, thereby enhancing the robustness of the findings.

Negotiating housing insecurity: Parenting in poverty and the struggle for home

Among the arenas that reproduce inequality for marginalized groups, housing remains one of the most important. Guided by scholarship on housing insecurity among the poor and parenting amidst poverty, this article investigates the lived experience of parenting within the intricate landscape of housing insecurity. To do so, we draw on in-depth interviews with 100 low-income parents who rent a house in Israel. Our findings show that amidst severe housing challenges, parents constantly enact strong social agency by striving to secure decent housing for their children. Our analysis also reveals how three main facets of housing insecurity permeate and shape everyday parent–child relationships: overcrowded living conditions, economic tensions, and emotional and health challenges. We employ the concept of “negotiation” to offer a threefold conceptualization of our findings regarding parenting experience in the shadow of housing insecurity.

Basic Benchmarks of Rasism in the Old Testament

Throughout history, racism and anti-Semitism have killed people around the world. In recent years, they are still being expressed in public spaces, near places of worship, on social networks, in discussion forums and in all spheres of human activity. Discrimination based on origin affects human dignity at work, in access to decent housing, in health and at school, and fractures society. Such human rights abuses take the form of insults, intimidation, violence and unequal treatment and rights. These cowardly, serious and degrading attitudes cause lasting damage to the victims and their families. However, we will never resign ourselves either to trivialising evil or to becoming disillusioned about the responsibility of public action

The Locations of Palestine and the U.S. in the Global Map of Homelessness: Part 2.

It's now well appreciated that social determinants of health are the strongest predictors of our health and well-being. A good argument could be made that housing is at the top of the pyramid of these determinants. And, surprisingly, housing is also the social determinant that could rapidly turn on a dime-that is, with sufficient political will, creating access to housing could be radically expanded in short order. (Unfortunately, of course, it's true one can also become suddenly homeless, since few protections exist in policy or capitalist economies to prevent it). That alone sets it apart from social factors such as education and racism-conditions that take a long time to change. In contrast to long-term interventions (education) or culturally stubborn and historically rooted problems (racism), housing is rapidly malleable. In this article, we describe the social condition of homelessness in two settings, comparing and contrasting the concepts, causes, and consequences, along with how people are mobilizing to challenge the conditions that create their housing insecurity. As we review the factors that create housing conditions in each setting, we propose some universal international principles for a new approach to the human right of decent and secure housing.

Barricades against Evictions: Coexistence of Short- and Long-term Frames in the Housing Movement on Facebook and Twitter

Social movements fight to change society’s roots and challenge entrenched cultural frameworks. At the same time, however, they must attend to everyday activism and protests that constitute a clear and pragmatic mobilization goal. This article analyzes the case of a movement for decent housing on social media called Platform for Those Affected by Mortgages (PAH). This organization fights to guarantee universal access to housing, a recurrent problem in large cities. It grew in 2010 when the subprime mortgage crisis broke out in the United States. The bursting of the real estate bubble built up at that time had a global impact, pushing other markets. On the one hand, the movement has to change entrenched cognitive frameworks that say property must be bought and its loss is the individual’s responsibility. On the other hand, it must coordinate and try to gather as many people as possible to stop the evictions that occur every day. Twitter seems crucial for daily mobilization in this double logic, while Facebook allows for more complex narratives. The methodology used was a framing analysis of the content published on the organization’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts. Although these should be understood as overlapping layers, the movement is often trapped in a narrative that it does not want. By highlighting specific cases, it leads to an understanding that access to housing does not affect most of society.

Potensi Pemberdayaan Tanah Wakaf dalam Penyelenggaraan Perumahan

Housing problems are an issue that always arises, especially in developing countries. The high demand is not proportional to the supply and ability to provide decent housing. In Indonesia there are around 800 thousand new households every year that need decent housing, while the housing backlog is still at 12-15 million. This article discusses the potential utilization of waqf land for housing provision. This article was written based on literature study. The findings in this article are, there is great potential for utilizing waqf land in Indonesia. First, the number of waqf land in Indonesia is spread across 440,512 locations with an area of 57,263.69 hectares. Second, most of the use of waqf land is still consumptive. The presence of the government to make waqf land more productive is very important and highly anticipated.

Building a resources-modulable approach as appropriate strategy to reduce and rehabilitate spontaneous housing area (SHA) in developing countries cities: the case of Mokolo in Yaoundé, Cameroon city

ABSTRACT Cities in developing countries are facing a critical housing deficiency, seen, for example, in Cameroon by an estimated deficit about two million units. Despite real estate programmes in response, supply remains very low compared to demand. It favours the growth of anarchical housing production so-called spontaneous housing area (SHA) or slums. High concentration of poor households in these informal areas coupled with their expansion (about 5.5% per year) is a real headache for population, government authorities who fight for the common good. A major challenge has been how to ensure access to land certificates, basic urban services and decent housing while fighting against urban sprawl and SHA growth. Within the framework of cognitive science, our study provides a multidisciplinary tool for calibrating rehabilitation of SHA based on eight technical criteria, and on profitability. It enables decision-makers not only to assess the degree of precariousness, but also to know in advance whether the intervention will be profitable. This determines whether rehabilitation is bankable for government or whether total destruction is better. Upon application on Mokolo, the case study region in Yaoundé, it revealed how it can be made affordable while reducing the slum rate from 54%–20%.

Guaranteeing Human Rights? Italian ‘Gastarbeiter:innen’ and Housing Activism in 1960s and 1970s West Germany

This article examines migrant grassroots movements that invoked universalising rights’ languages to assert claims to decent and affordable housing in West Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. It focuses on Southern Italian migrant ‘guest workers’ who utilized rights’ claims to highlight dismal living conditions and the lack of access to affordable housing for migrant families in their new communities. Migrants’ claims then ‘scaled up’ to the level of international relations and the European Parliament as state actors and advocacy groups couched migrant housing conditions in terms of human rights. No matter the forum, ideas surrounding human rights created frameworks of debate over the West German welfare state, the free movement of labour within the European Economic Community, and even visions of European citizenship and integration. As such, this article illustrates the disparities between canonising human rights on paper and the challenges of guaranteeing said rights on the ground, particularly for populations not confined to the boundaries of their own nation-state.

Understanding ‘citizenship’ to protect human rights of liquefaction survivors in South Palu

Disaster management is a critical component of national development, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters. The relocation process of liquefaction disaster survivors in Petobo, located in South Palu, Central Sulawesi, underscores the pivotal role of the government in safeguarding Indonesian citizens' rights, including providing adequate housing within a healthy and secure environment. This research was conducted in the wake of the disaster with the primary objective of evaluating the legal protection and human rights afforded to survivors residing in Petobo Village, which has been designated as a red zone due to the severity of the disaster. The study uncovered significant damage to infrastructure, loss of life, and ecosystem degradation as direct consequences of the disaster. These findings underscore the government's obligation to provide permanent housing (hence HUNTAP) to fulfill the basic needs of survivors. Providing decent housing is fundamental to ensuring the well-being and dignity of every citizen affected by the disaster. Moreover, it aligns with the core principles of citizenship and human rights, which are essential for fostering sustainable and harmonious communities, particularly in regions grappling with the aftermath of natural calamities. Shortly, the relocation of liquefaction disaster survivors in Petobo, South Palu, Central Sulawesi, highlights the government's pivotal role in safeguarding its citizens' rights, especially in times of crisis. By prioritizing permanent housing and ensuring a healthy and secure environment for survivors, the government demonstrates its commitment to upholding human rights and fostering resilient communities in disaster-affected areas.

Analysis of the Impact of Productive Zakat in Empowering Mustahiq's Economic Welfare in Jember Regency

The purpose of this study is to analyze the distribution of Productive Zakat in NU Care-LAZISNU PCNU Jember in empowering mustahiq economic welfare in Jember Regency. This research uses a qualitative approach, and this research is descriptive. Qualitative research methods are research that produces descriptive data in the form of written or spoken words of people or observable behavior. NU Care-LAZISNU Jember has several steps to be able to carry out the mandate of distributing productive zakat so that the target and goal of distributing productive zakat is achieved. As a result, NU Care LAZISNU JEMBER uses a distribution pattern with zakat management functions consisting of forcasting, planing, organizing and actuating and controling. While the utilization model used is in kind by providing business tools and capital assistance such as livestock. The impact felt by mustahiq who receive productive zakat can be seen from several indicators including increased income, more decent housing or housing, and increased education and health levels.

Transformation of National Housing’s Layout Design in PERUMNAS Sarijadi Bandung

PERUMNAS (“Perumahan Nasional”/National Housing) was established in 1974 to provide decent housing for the lower middle class in Indonesia by the government. One of their projects was done in Sarijadi area, Bandung in 1976-1978. The typical PERUMNAS house in Sarijadi was based on Type 36, named after the building area which was around 36 m2. As time changed, the people’s needs, and behaviour also evolved, and it also affected the contemporary PERUMNAS layout. As such, Type 36 house may be evolved into a growing house, in a sense that it is able to be developed, usually vertically, by stages based on standard housing minimum cost to accommodate the evolving needs of the occupants. This paper will analyse one such growing type 36 PERUMNAS house case, which is located in PERUMNAS Sarijadi, Bandung, West Java. The house was initially built in 1976-1978, and several renovations were done in 1994, 2007, and 2017 as the family grew. By observing the layout transformation, the results showed that the occupants adapted to the original layout by developing the building vertically to add private areas and utilizing the front and the backyard to make new service areas. In the future, homeowners can adapt to shifts in activity by carrying out sustainable transformations in the form of additional functions which then result in different zoning.

A progress of Public-Private Partnerships in São Paulo's housing policy: challenges and conflicts in accessing decent housing

The article aims to analyze the advancement of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in housing for social interest in the central area of São Paulo. Based on a literature review and document research, it was found that such partnerships have presented limitations in providing housing for the low-income population, leading to conflicts and displacements in strategic areas of interest to the real estate market. This facilitates investor access to housing services and allows construction companies to use urban planning tools for economic exploitation and the mobilization of public lands in the city. Housing PPPs come in a context of weakened housing policies and increased private sector involvement in public services, driven by neoliberal thinking. This situation raises questions about the effectiveness of PPPs in meeting the needs of vulnerable populations living in inadequate or deficient housing. Financing difficulties for lower-income families and the displacements carried out for new housing developments have led to the relocation of local residents and workers, some of whom have been pushed into environmentally fragile and peripheral areas. As a result, there is a growing role of the private sector in decisions regarding the production of housing for social interest, which not only fails to extend its reach to the poorest groups but also creates problems related to urban density and urban sprawl. These issues need to be addressed to promote more just and sustainable cities in their social, environmental, and economic aspects, committed to reducing inequalities, socio-spatial segregation, and promoting democratic governance in cities.

To Resist is to Survive: Lived Experiences of the Untenured Migrants in the Watershed Protected Areas

Many watersheds in the country are being occupied by untenured settlers who are not aware of the danger it will cause to our protected areas. Watershed provides a “well-balanced” system. Healthy watersheds also offer commercially viable natural resources (such as wood and non-wood products) and water for residential, agricultural, and industrial applications, well- maintained and balanced watersheds also provide environmental services. Furthermore, watersheds act as homes for different kinds of plants and animals. This study is qualitative research which delved into the experiences and struggles of occupants of informal settlers, within the Olongapo Watershed Forest Reserve, which is reflected in the results and discussion. Results and findings were discussed by forming themes and meanings elicited from informants’ responses. The study revealed that participants chose to stay in the protected area because of the demands of their job, access to basic services, and poverty. People were drawn to occupy the watershed protected areas because they could not afford a decent house to call their own. Furthermore, illegal occupants and DENR representatives face inherent problems due to a lack of knowledge and strict implementation of certain policies, which explains why these tenants continue to stay in the said location. It is also fascinating that, considering the tenants’ anxieties brought by the threat of termination or eviction, they still hope that the government will give them consideration to have a full legal right to own a piece of land from the protected area or give them justifiable relocation sites where they can start anew. On the other hand, while it is difficult for them to grasp the reality of the consequences of living there, they are all open to dialogue and prepared to follow the rule of law. In addition, the government must set the proper conditions and benefits for the informal settlers to have a successful peaceful and humane manner of relocating informal settlers if they want to conserve and protect the OWFR.

Shaping and Branding Migration Policy: A Retrospective Analysis of Portugal’s Contemporary Model

Migrant populations have been consistently more vulnerable than others, with their vulnerability being exacerbated in crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In the meantime, in their effort to “flatten the curve,” governments have been adopting policies that have significantly impacted migration in various ways. The effect of these policies has found migrants suffering disproportionately from the social and economic consequences of the pandemic crisis. Mobility restrictions have stranded them in the host countries, often without decent housing conditions, exacerbating xenophobic and discriminatory treatment of migrants. The study focuses on the case of Portugal and, more specifically, aims to provide a contextual feature of historical discussions of migration in Portugal and explore the perceptions and branding of migration policies in a crisis environment during the Covid-19 pandemic through the framing lens. Using empirical evidence from a frame analysis of parliamentary debates, the article investigates how immigration policies are branded and framed within Portugal, while it also evaluates the role of branding in migration policy-making, particularly in crisis scenarios. Overall, the article underscores the importance of branding in shaping migration policies, emphasising its significance in policy making.

Monitoring Changes in the Jakarta Flood Disaster with Using Sentinel 2A Imagery

DKI Jakarta Province is one of the provinces in Indonesia with a relatively high incidence of flooding since its establishment in the Dutch East Indies era because geomorphologically Jakarta is a floodplain area. On the other hand, land pressure by increasing urbanization in the city of Jakarta results in the increasingly limited availability of decent housing land for the community so that lands that should be water catchment areas and riverbanks are transformed into densely populated flying areas which ultimately reduces water absorption capacity in the Jakarta area. To obtain fast data in identifying flood-affected areas, the technique of identifying the potential extent and distribution of flooding by utilizing the remote sensing NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index) method and/or using the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) method from the free data Sentinel 2A satellite can be useful to provide data input to relevant parties in DKI Jakarta Province. Opportunities and constraints The application of NDWI and/or MNDWI techniques will greatly assist mapping activities and identification of the distribution of flood areas as an alternative input to policymakers for action and anticipation of areas with high flood potential. This research is one of the first steps and input to the DKI Jakarta Government in making strategies and roadmaps for flood mitigation in DKI Jakarta.

Ketentuan Pemberian Izin Usaha Penambangan Nikel berdasarkan Undang-Undang Tentang Perlindungan dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup dan Implementasinya di Kabupaten Konawe Kepulauan Provinsi Sulawesi Tenggara

ABSTRACT Every individual has the right to enjoy physical and mental well-being, have decent housing, and live in a healthy environment in accordance with the 1945 Constitution. The right to protect and preserve nature has been regulated by laws oriented toward the interests of nature. The importance of nature lies in the obligation to preserve it. Despite Indonesia, especially Southeast Sulawesi, being rich in mineral resources such as nickel, the management of natural resources must comply with environmental laws and regulations. Coastal areas and small islands, including Wawonii Island, need to be preserved. However, the granting of mining permits on Wawonii Island has previously resulted in negative impacts on the local environment and community. The nickel mining company, PT Gema Kreasi Perdana (PT GKP), resumed operations on Wawonii Island in 2018, creating controversy by violating regulations, such as the prohibition of mineral mining on small islands that could harm the environment and surrounding communities. The local government of Konawe Regency issued a Regional Regulation (Perda) supporting mining activities, despite conflicting with higher legal regulations. The impacts of PT GKP's activities, such as water pollution, have led to a clean water crisis, forcing residents to buy bottled water. Residents filed a lawsuit in the Administrative Court (PTUN) Kendari, and the Supreme Court (MA) annulled the Regional Regulation supporting mining on Wawonii Island. Nevertheless, PT GKP filed a judicial review against Law No. 27/2007, which prohibits mining activities on small islands. This research aims to analyze the provisions for granting nickel mining business permits in the coastal areas of Konawe Regency based on the Environmental Protection and Management Law. Additionally, the study aims to analyze criminal accountability for damage to water sources on the coastal areas due to nickel mining activities, based on the Environmental Protection and Management Law. The research results are expected to contribute both theoretically and practically. Theoretically, the research is expected to contribute to scientific knowledge, especially in the context of granting mining permits on small islands. Practically, the research findings are expected to serve as a foundation for local governments, mining companies, and communities to understand and address the environmental damage resulting from nickel mining activities in Konawe Regency.