Provision Of Low-income Housing Research Articles

Breaking New Ground: Perceptions of RDP house beneficiaries of the Mavuso settlement in Alice, South Africa

Background: The South African democratic governments adopted the provision of low-income housing as one of the ways to redress the injustices of the past Apartheid government. Thus, the development of housing legislations and programmes initiated, such as the reconstruction and development programme (RDP) and the Breaking New Ground (BNG).Aim: This study sought to investigate the perceptions of low-cost housing beneficiaries of the new BNG housing programme in Mavuso settlement.Setting: The study is conducted in Alice Town Mavuso location under Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, Eastern Cape province.Methods: A qualitative approach using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.Results: The findings of the study reveal that beneficiaries of low-cost housing in Mavuso are not satisfied with the quality as many of the houses were left incomplete.Conclusion: As per the findings of the study, housing challenges in South Africa stretch beyond the BNG programme which was implemented by the Department of Human Settlements to improve housing delivery. The findings highlight the lack of monitoring and evaluation together with corruption as the major contributor to the challenges of housing delivery.Contribution: Thus, this study seeks to present the voices of beneficiaries and raise awareness to the Department of Human Settlements on the challenges experienced by beneficiaries and the need for monitoring and evaluation. The study seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on BNG and settlement development.

Sustainable low-income housing: Exploring housing and governance issues in the Gauteng City Region, South Africa

Amidst the global discourse on the provision of low-income housing, there has been a growth in studies to assess the governance issues related to the sustainability of housing delivery. Despite housing policy and legislative frameworks existing in developing countries, several governance issues have limited the sustainability of housing delivery mechanisms. Therefore, this study aims to unpack housing delivery approaches through the lens of governance. Adopting an exploratory approach, this study seeks to understand strategic and operational approaches used by government institutions to promote collaborative strategies in the planning and delivery of housing projects. Empirical data is used to understand mechanisms, processes and systems involved in the planning and delivery of low-income housing projects, using the Gauteng City Region as an area of study. The findings reveal there is that there is a limited understanding of the concept of governance within public sector institutions. Additionally, the institutional arrangements of the three spheres of government (national, provincial and local) have an impact in the delivery processes of low-income housing projects. A shift is important in the understanding and application of governance principles in housing policy and programme implementation to realise the value of governance. This study concludes with implications for policy and academics highlighting the role of stakeholder participation, transparency, and accountability.

Exploring resource-wise stakeholder engagements for low-income housing development in urban Punjab, Pakistan

The main phases of any housing project are planning, design, execution, regulation, and use. All the stakeholders involved in each phase can impact the project's status and progress. The study has explored the dynamics of acquiring five fundamental housing resources, i.e., physical, financial, construction capital, intellectual, and policy. The paper responds to the lack of research on resource acquisition and the patterns of stakeholder engagements, particularly in South Asian countries. The study provides the stakeholder model in the case of Pakistan as an interesting study of relationships between resource-acquiring patterns and engagement mechanisms that can be applied to other geographical contributions. Drawing on qualitative analysis from in-depth interviews with prime stakeholders, this paper concludes by highlighting policy resources as the focal point of resource-wise stakeholder engagement in low-income housing development. This paper highlights the complexities associated with amalgamated engagements with limited transparency on the patterns of resource acquisition for better navigating the provision of low-income housing in developing countries urbanizing at alarming rates.

Stakeholders’ perspective on collaboration barriers in low-income housing provision: a case study from pakistan

The prevailing housing situation in Pakistan is alarming, as more than 47% of urban households are estimated to be living in squatters. Housing stakeholders require an enabling environment to collaborate to reduce the drastic inequity with too many housing options for the high-income and too few for the low-income groups. Existing literature reveals that Pakistan lacks stakeholder studies with a collaborative focus on providing low-income housing in urban areas. This study explores the barriers and impediments to stakeholder collaborations in the low-income housing sector through in-depth interviews within the urban setting of Lahore, the capital and the most populous city of the biggest province, Punjab, Pakistan. The findings identify the emergence of five cross-cutting collaboration challenges (GLIPP), placing government capacity, institutional complexity, and political willpower & intervention as dominant ones. This study stresses revising the organizational hierarchy of government institutions to develop a collaborative culture in the Pakistani housing sector. As part of practical implications, this paper would agitate policymakers to develop housing policies and programs for low-income groups.

Post-implementation Review of Low-income Housing Provision Policy: A Qualitative Study with Executives’ Perspective

Post-implementation Review of Low-income Housing Provision Policy: A Qualitative Study with Executives’ Perspective

Stakeholders’ readiness in implementing regulation on affordable public housing: a case study in Pemalang Regency, Central Java

The lengthy licensing stage is becoming a problem in low-income housing development. Stakeholders’ readiness plays an essential role in the success factor of low-income housing. This study aims to identify the stakeholders’ readiness for regional autonomy in terms of policy implementation according to the Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 55 of 2017 concerning Low-Income Housing in Pemalang Regency. The research method adopted the policy model by Edwards III and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The determination of the criteria in this study was divided into four criteria: communication (human and financial) resources, implementers’ disposition/behaviour, and bureaucratic structure. These four criteria were analysed using the AHP method on eight respondents from one of the institutions related to the licensing stage. The findings suggested five strategies that could improve programs to accelerate the provision of low-income housing. The order of priority for those five strategies is: (1) capacity building of local authority staff; (2) improvement of the bureaucratic system and licensing services; (3) sanctions for parties affecting the licensing service process; (4) provision and dissemination of information; and (5) revision of regulations (Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs).

Beyond efficiency in low-income housing provision: Everyday negotiations of nonprofit staff and the limits to caring through marketized housing in Buffalo, New York

This paper analyzes how conflicting understandings of housing – housing as a commodity, a financial asset, a human right, and/or a form of service provision – coalesce in and are negotiated by nonprofit organizations that oversee low-income housing in Buffalo, New York. Critically analyzing nonprofit organizations as sites where discourses about housing come into conflict, I argue that the work of nonprofit staff materializes into the conditions of the contemporary system of housing provision and these organizations are important sites of everyday resistance to the marketization of low-income housing in the US. Through an institutional ethnography, I track how nonprofit workers fill the gaps in the private housing market in meeting the housing needs of low-income households. I also show how the marketization of low-income housing constrains nonprofit workers’ ability to enact a politics of housing as a right or a form of care. I look to the literature of feminist care ethics to argue that a broader, communal, and embodied understanding of housing provision could provide an alternative, non-marketized basis for a more just housing system – but one that must necessarily exceed the contemporary housing system.

Housing policies in Turkey post 2002

Turkey, under the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP), has launched large-scale national housing programmes in line with the emerging international trend in low-income housing provision. This paper analyses the place of the government’s housing programmes in economic policy and in the international context to illustrate the overall picture of the Turkish housing policy in the AKP era. Housing programmes have enabled low and middle-income people to access homeownership. However, other areas of housing policy such as land provision, taxes, subsidies, or housing finance have ignored the housing needs of low-income households. The case of Turkey reveals that the area on which the government should focus for low-income housing provision is access to affordable finance.

Low-Income Earners Housing Affordability Issues in Nigeria: A Systematic Review of Sustainable Approaches

Studies have revealed that the proportion of persons displaced owing to housing is growing significantly. This affects developing countries like Nigeria and other similar African countries. Low-income earners (LIEs) are observed to be severely afflicted by this global threat. The LIEs who are said to account for more than 90 percent of Nigeria's population have been alleged to live in slums, blighted areas, and unplanned settlements. This study investigates sustainable approaches to addressing LIEs' housing affordability issues in Nigeria. This study is based on a systematic review of relevant literature, and its findings show that sustainable options for addressing Nigerian LIEs' housing affordability difficulties are examined using technological, institutional, economic, social, and environmental approaches to sustainable housing affordability (SHA). This paper urges the government, stakeholders, policymakers, and property developers in Nigeria and other developing nations to implement sustainable housing policies for low-income housing affordability. It contributes to the frontiers of knowledge by providing helpful information on low-income housing provision, challenges of affordability, sustainability, and management approaches, and at the same time, gives direction to research interest on low-income housing in Nigeria and other developing countries.

Recasting paradigms of institutional analysis and stakeholder analysis in housing research

In response to the global challenge of low-income housing provision, research on understanding the housing provision mechanisms has gained a reputation among emerging scholars and practitioners in architecture, urban development, housing, and public policy. An effective provision system entails the institutions and stakeholders comprehending their interrelations within the housing market context, lacking conceptual clarity. Challenging roles of institutions and stakeholders within the domain of housing provision necessitates the groundwork to study the contextual positions and relations of stakeholders as an analogous component and the analysis of institutional frameworks. The paper provides the theoretical foundations within the metaphorical bases for integrating the respective analytical approaches, i.e., institutional analysis (IA) and stakeholder analysis (SA), drawing on critical theoretical constructs. By analytical comparison of empirical evidence of IA and SA in housing research against the prompting keywords, critical reflections offer the conceptual foundation of new research agenda through IA-SA integrated approach. The study thereby advances the theoretical understanding between the regulatory level (institutions) and engagement level (stakeholders). It proposes a multi-level analysis process that complements the IA-SA integration for examining the provision systems in the context of low-income housing.

Sustainable Affordable Housing Strategies For Solving Low-Income Earners Housing Challenges In Nigeria

Globally, several studies have affirmed that the population of those who are displaced with respect to housing is on the rise. Developing nations in the continent of Africa to include Nigeria are reportedly not spared of this development. Similarly, the low-income earners have been reported as the worst hit of this global menace. Shanty dwellings, squatter settlements and informal settlements have similarly been reported to be homes to low-income earners who constitute over 90% of the population of Nigeria. This study therefore presented sustainable affordable housing strategies as an emerging concept through which low-income earners housing challenges in Nigeria can be eliminated. The study relied on a systematic review of literature to arrive at its findings. Findings from the study revealed that sustainable affordable housing strategies through which Nigerian low-income earners housing challenges can be addressed can best be explored from the social, economic, environmental, institutional and technological components of sustainable affordable housing. The study calls on the government, stakeholders, policy makers as well as private developers to adopt sustainable affordable housing strategies for low-income housing provision in Nigeria. The study’s outcome will contribute to existing body of knowledge in that it will provide useful information with respect to low-income housing provision and equally re-direct research interest on low-income housing in Nigeria and other developing nations.

Contrasting housing microfinance with the social production of habitat in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina

In a context of the state withdrawing from housing provision, despite a persistent shortage of affordable housing, housing policies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, have increasingly diversified. This paper contrasts two different credit-based approaches to low-income housing provision which have been implemented since the year 2000 in the City of Buenos Aires: collective mortgage loans for self-managed housing construction and improvement projects, embedded in a logic of ‘social production of habitat’; and individual housing microloans, following a logic of financial inclusion for low-income households. We examine a case study of each approach and contrast the institutional shifts that have taken place during their implementation, the learning processes each approach facilitates for participants, and the details of how housing is produced in each approach. We conclude that, although housing microfinance and the social production of habitat may appear to follow contradictory logics, they can also be treated as complementary solutions that could be combined to address each other’s shortcomings.

�We need ground space�: urban densification and transitional housing in Ethiopia

Like many countries of rapid urbanisation, Ethiopia has an acute low-income housing shortage. Ethiopia�s Integrated Housing Development Programme (IHDP) can be seen as an attempt to innovate low-income housing provision. Over 200,000 IHDP units have been built since 2005. Drawing from a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) survey in Amhara region, this article asks how the transition to high-rise has affected household practices and energy use. The POE survey shows low satisfaction among the residents, despite energy access and sanitary facilities. The new built environment compromises and contradicts established cultural practices, reducing the residents� well-being compared to previous living in more informal settlements where the dwelling had direct access to outdoor space and community. This means that the residents tend to view IHDP housing as transitional, disincentivising improvements in the environment or social networks. Further, the loss of ground connection causes domestic and cultural practices to move indoors, increasing energy demand and reliance on appliances. This paper argues that high-rise as the only typology for mass housing should not go unchallenged. If it is the only option, design standards should not be left open to interpretation by the developer and regulations should ensure adequate design, such as dual aspect, flexibility and privacy in floor plans, and design and designation of outdoor spaces. The findings question the idea of modernisation of housing as a linear process and challenge the literature on the compact city model as �the� paradigm for sustainable cities in Southern urban practice.

�We need ground space�: urban densification and transitional housing in Ethiopia

Like many countries of rapid urbanisation, Ethiopia has an acute low-income housing shortage. Ethiopia�s Integrated Housing Development Programme (IHDP) can be seen as an attempt to innovate low-income housing provision. Over 200,000 IHDP units have been built since 2005. Drawing from a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) survey in Amhara region, this article asks how the transition to high-rise has affected household practices and energy use. The POE survey shows low satisfaction among the residents, despite energy access and sanitary facilities. The new built environment compromises and contradicts established cultural practices, reducing the residents� well-being compared to previous living in more informal settlements where the dwelling had direct access to outdoor space and community. This means that the residents tend to view IHDP housing as transitional, disincentivising improvements in the environment or social networks. Further, the loss of ground connection causes domestic and cultural practices to move indoors, increasing energy demand and reliance on appliances. This paper argues that high-rise as the only typology for mass housing should not go unchallenged. If it is the only option, design standards should not be left open to interpretation by the developer and regulations should ensure adequate design, such as dual aspect, flexibility and privacy in floor plans, and design and designation of outdoor spaces. The findings question the idea of modernisation of housing as a linear process and challenge the literature on the compact city model as �the� paradigm for sustainable cities in Southern urban practice.

Use and performance of conventional and sustainable building technologies in low-income housing

Few studies have investigated the use and performance of conventional and sustainable building technologies of use in low-income housing construction. Hence, this study investigates the use and performance of the conventional and sustainable building technologies used in low-income housing construction towards proposing the most sustainable technological solution for low-income housing development in South Africa. Using a case study research approach, the study developed a rating tool for use in assessing the sustainability performance of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) low-income houses within the nine provinces of South Africa with measures drawn from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) technical manual. Findings of this study show that the most commonly used method of construction for low-income housing in South Africa are concrete floor slab, brick and mortar for the external envelope and a combination of timber structures fitted with Inverted Box Rib (IBR) sheeting for the roof system. The results also show that conventional building components had a much lower sustainability level due to the high use of concrete and that innovative building components have a lower environmental impact due to the low carbon dioxide emission associated with the manufacturing process. The study concludes with regards to the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability that buildings constructed using sustainable technologies are more sustainable than those produced using conventional methods. The study recommends that public sector clients involved in the provision of low-income housing should encourage the use of sustainable construction technologies. Further, the research also suggests that the GBCSA should develop measures which specifically targets low-income housing development to allow for the determination of both the socio-economic viability and environmental impact of the RDP houses produced in South Africa.

Low-Income Housing Provision: Between Governmental Interventions And Informal Settlements - Greater Cairo Region Between 1980s And 2010s

Low-cost housing, so-called affordable housing, is an important subject as it affects many aspects of people's well-being and city planning. The urban poor, who form a respectable percentage of cities' residents in many developing countries, are the most affected segment by the availability and affordability of housing. Governments often try their best to provide affordable housing through housing interventions and programs. However, many low-income people end up in informal settlements including slums and squatter settlements.
 This research analyzes state-led low-cost housing initiatives compared to informal affordable housing in developing countries. The importance of this research is mainly associated with understanding how governmental housing initiatives and laws affect the housing preferences of the urban poor.
 The research starts by providing a brief background about the subject and its importance from the literature. The research uses mixed methods approach and a case study of Greater Cairo Region following the massive migration during the period between the 1980s and the 2000s to provide an in-depth understanding of the situation. The research then analyzes/discusses some housing initiatives, and uses both quantitative/qualitative data in order to explain potential malpractice and issues. Finally, the research will highlight the key findings and provide some recommendations for change/improvement.

Challenges in the Provision of Affordable and Decent Housing for Low Income Earners

This study sought to understand the challenges in the provision of affordable and decent housing for low income earners in the capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare. Various challenges relating to housing provision were identified by the research participants. These related to regulatory barriers, lack of political will and commitment, financial challenges, lack of inter-agency coordination. The study concludes that provision of low-income housing remains a big challenge in Harare, which calls for a multi-sectoral approach to address. The study relied on qualitative methodology. Research participants were drawn from Harare City Council, the private sector non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government officials, and residents.

Neo-liberalism in low-income housing policy – problem or panacea?

ABSTRACTThe provision of decent, affordable and well-located housing for low-income communities has been an intractable problem, especially for developing countries. A recurrent issue in the discourse of this problem relates to the appropriate role of the state on one hand and the private sector on the other. The debate has been given renewed urgency in the current context of a growing critique of ‘neoliberalism’. Through rigorous literature review, this paper intends to review the successes and failures of neo-liberalism and explore the intricate linkages between neo-liberal housing policy and low-income housing provision. The raison d’être for the paper is that, despite the growing disenchantment with neo-liberal housing policy, the empirical basis of this criticism has not been established convincingly, and neither have that of potential alternative policies. This paper therefore fills a critical gap in the low-income housing policy literature.

Subsidising the Cost of Land for Low Income Housing: Some Evidence from Jos, Nigeria

This study aims to examine the variables that influence the application of land and infrastructure subsidy for low-income housing provision in the city of Jos, Nigeria. Data was collected by conducting interviews with the representatives of the relevant government agencies and those of the house building companies. This was transcribed and examined alongside documentary evidences. The analysis was conducted in line with the study’s objectives: The first was to examine how the policy for subsidising the cost of land applies in the local context in Jos. The data examined in connection to this objective suggest that there is an absence of a uniform approach to the application of the subsidy policy by the three tiers—federal, state and local—of government. The approaches adopted by the federal and state government agencies were seen not to be effective in supplying the subsidies needed by private developers. The second objective was interested in scrutinising the variables influencing the arrangement for subsidising the cost of land in Jos. The data analysed confirms that the lack of proper understanding of land subsidy policy among government officials, the absence of political will on the part of State and Federal government agencies, the absence of transparency and accountability on the part of government officials, the absence of legislation in support of the subsidy policy, and bureaucratic constraints were the key variables influencing the subsidy arrangement in Jos. These findings were examined and some recommendations were proffered.

Low-income housing provision in Mauritius: Improving social justice and place quality

This study considers how housing need is, and can be, addressed through the provision of low-income housing in Mauritius. Informed by collaborative planning theory, the research seeks to understand the nuances of the Mauritian context and the relationship between governance processes surrounding low-income housing provision, and social justice and place quality outcomes. It finds that the planning and delivery of housing by the state often fails to provide for those in greatest need due to being highly centralised and driven by the land available and a desire to meet political targets. Also evident is the lack of resident participation in the planning of government housing despite it being recognised internationally as fundamental to creating sustainable housing solutions. It concludes by arguing that resident participation together with a collaborative planning approach can lead to greater social justice and place quality, and in turn more sustainable communities. Finally, it outlines the criteria that should be considered when developing low-income housing on the island.