Housing Shortage Research Articles

"My life will be much better than before": a qualitative study on the relationship between renewal of public housing, quality of life, and health

The objective was to understand the link between housing, health and quality of life in a context of social housing regeneration, through the experiences and perceptions of its inhabitants, exploring the mechanisms that sustain this link before regeneration, and those elements derived from housing regeneration that result in improvements in quality of life and potentially in health. Between 1980 and the 2000s, Chile faced a massive quantitative housing deficit through a policy that delivered more than 120,000 low-cost social housing apartments. Today, thousands present severe habitability problems, generating negative consequences for their inhabitants, their health and well-being. Seeking to solve the deterioration of housing and neighborhoods, the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism developed the Housing Complex Regeneration Program. The RUCAS project seeks to evaluate the effects of the program on health and to assess the impact of interventions such as these on vulnerable populations in Latin America. We present results of 8 interviews and 2 focus groups conducted in a social housing complex in process of intervention in Viña del Mar. Using discursive content analysis, results show that the poor material quality of housing is perceived as harmful to health. Regenerated housing, on the other hand, promotes the recovery and re-appropriation of spaces and their uses, sociability, new healthy practices, positive feelings and psychological well-being, bringing to the fore the psychosocial component of people's relationship with their house. It is concluded that housing regeneration has the potential to benefit physical and mental health through both direct mechanisms, derived from the renovated materiality, and indirect mechanisms related to the practices and experiences of the lived space.

“Que el aseo y la pulcritud sea el signo distintivo de nuestra ciudad”. El centro histórico de Chihuahua y algunas de sus vecindades, 1934–1971

This urban history research addresses the historiographic gap on the theme of ‘vecindades’ in the city of Chihuahua through the identification, description, and analysis of the social function that they fulfilled between 1934 and 1971: satisfying the housing deficit after the intense migration from the countryside to the city. The sources used were maps, reports, and government records, as well as correspondence between the authorities and the people. At the same time, some of the ways of life that developed within the neighborhoods are described and analyzed, as well as the perception that society had about this type of housing and the people who inhabited it through the testimony of those who lived with its inhabitants and the photographs that attest to its existence. Also, I complementarily argue that the state urbanization and redevelopment policies of the 1956–1971 period were key in the modernization of the city, which implied the indiscriminate destruction of buildings and constructions, in addition to the gentrification and sectorization of the population. I conclude that the ‘vecindades’, as it was the case in other cities of the republic, were shelters for social otherness and the ‘undesirable’.

The impact of urbanization on housing shortages in Gaborone, Botswana

The unprecedented rate of urbanization across the world has led to increased demand for good, affordable housing. This research was conducted to ascertain the reasons and challenges of urbanization on housing shortages in Gaborone, Botswana. The focal point of this study was to assess the impact of urbanization on the demand of housing in Gaborone, Botswana. Thereafter the study recommended astute strategies desirable to curb the problem of urbanization and scarcity of accommodation in Gaborone. This research used a descriptive research design and distributed questionnaires to Gaborone residents during data collection. The researchers used stratified and clustered sampling methods. The study results indicated the need for better educational facilities and employment opportunities as the major causes of urbanization in Gaborone. Shortage of housing, high rentals and escalating land prices were also identified as some of the major challenges of urbanization in Gaborone. The study recommended that the government to introduce rent control measures to restrict rising prices, the private sector should be encouraged to further participate in the provision of accommodation for different income groups to be sold or leased at subsidized rates. The study also recommended the government to buy plenty of land and real estate, to reduce speculative behaviour of land barons.

Exploring the economic and social impacts of rural-urban migration of youths in Abuja, Nigeria

The primary driver of urban unemployment and population pressure in an emerging nation like Nigeria is the phenomena of rural-urban migration, which is primarily sparked by rural "push" forces and urban "pull" factors. This circumstance also has an impact on the healthy growth of rural and urban communities. Despite this, little research is done to assess how it would affect urban residents' quality of life and rural livelihood. To this end, this study is mainly concerned with exploring the economic and social impacts of rural-urban migration of youths, determine the socio-economic characteristics of rural-urban migrant youths in the study area, assessing the impact of rural-urban migrant youths particularly on economic aspects (employment, cost of living, urban informal sectors) in the study area, investigate the impact of in-migration of youths particularly on social services (education, housing, health and other social facilities) in the study area, and investigate the push and pull factor that influence rural-urban migration in Abuja. Questionnaires were given to 210 rural-urban young people who were chosen at random to learn about the issues. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the participant-provided data. Youth from rural and urban migration move to cities in quest of work and to use city services and amenities. Youth migrants have put pressure on the socioeconomic as well as environmental conditions and characteristics of the study region because of the ongoing outflow of rural migrants seeking out urban basic utilities. Because of the high incidence of rural-to-urban migration, Abuja now faces issues such a housing shortage, unemployment, rising cost of living, limited access to social services, an increase in crime, the growth of urban informal sectors, and other challenges.

Space Syntax as a Method to Improve the Space Quality of Future Low-income Housing (L-iH) in Malaysia

This paper highlights the role of Space Syntax as a method to analyze spatial quality in Low-income Housing (L-iH) in Malaysia. Low-income Housing (L-iH) schemes such as the People’s Housing Project (PPR) have been one of the government’s approaches in coping with housing shortage in the Klang Valley. These L-iH schemes have been reported to be unsatisfactory to the inhabitants’ comfort, social and cultural needs. It is therefore crucial to investigate the relationship between space and the occupants by assessing the indoor space visibility using Visual Graph Analysis (VGA) as part of Space Syntax method, as the analytical tool to improve the future designs of L-iH that will benefit the occupants, policymakers, low-income house developers and consultants, researchers in the architecture field, and society at large.

공동주택의 주거환경 요인과 지각 가치가 주거 만족도에 미치는 영향분석

Since the 1970s, rapid economic growth and urban concentration of the population have caused serious housing shortages in urban areas, and the government has implemented a policy to build and distribute high-rise apartment houses in large quantities. However, as the living standard of the people improves along with economic development, residents' interest in improving the quality of the residential environment is increasing, and it is necessary to find a strategy to improve the quality of apartment houses and to improve the quality of life. Therefore, this study investigated the residential environment factors of apartments that affect residents' housing satisfaction and the perceived value of residents, and identified the mediating role of perceived value in the relationship between the residential environment factors of apartments as follows. First, among the residential environment factors, safety, health, and economy were found to have a positive effect on the residential satisfaction of apartment houses, and among the residential environment factors, safety, convenience, health, economy, aesthetics, and sociality had a significant positive effect on the perceived value of apartment houses. In addition, the perceived value of apartment houses was found to have a significant positive effect on housing satisfaction, and the perceived value of apartment houses played a significant mediating role in the gap between the residential environment factors of apartment houses and housing satisfaction.

Brownfield land redevelopment strategies in urban areas

Urban intensification seems to be a growing trend, especially in the context of severe land scarcity. Brownfields offer great potential in meeting the increasing demand for housing in major cities worldwide. Redevelopment projects appear to provide immediate solutions to housing shortages that are being experienced due to population pressures in large metropolitan areas. The paper explores the range of factors that property developers need to consider in their decision-making process when assessing the viability of brownfield redevelopments. This research, which employed a comparative case study approach, and examined two brownfield redevelopments in Auckland, focused on the economic, social, and environmental criteria that were utilised in the decision-making process. Document analysis of the two case studies, site observations, and semi-structured interviews with the property developers were the main data collection methods. The results suggested that the economic aspects of a brownfield redevelopment are the most important criteria that developers consider during the feasibility assessment of proposed projects. Projects that offer the potential for quick investment returns for all stakeholders are the preferred choice for developers. Brownfield redevelopments offer significant potential for invigorating local areas through urban intensification which boosts local businesses and encourages community revitalisation. The environmental concerns appear to be the lowest priority and little consideration is given to reducing the environmental impacts or incorporating green building practices in the new developments. A major shift from a purely economic focus toward a comprehensive environmental approach to new developments is needed to ensure the sustainable development of cities.

Nigeria Housing Scenarios: Lessons to Learn from Wales as an Alternative Approach

Over 40% of Nigerians, out of the country's present population of over 20 million, would reside in urban areas by 2030, according to United Nations demographic experts. Given that 20% of urban residents already live in substandard circumstances and that there is a housing shortfall of over 17 million units in what has grown to be one of the world's greatest low-income housing markets, this is a cause for concern. Many people around the world lack access to decent housing, but the problem seems to be most acute in developing nations like Nigeria. Additionally, there are not many residences available to the growing number of workers in both the formal and informal sectors, particularly in urban areas. In spite of the fact that the effective demand from the vast majority of the population has not changed appreciably, the report notes that housing demand in Nigeria, particularly in urban areas, has continued to climb dramatically. This study finds that all the factors influencing housing supply have reduced the quality of housing in the nation. The results showed a number of concerns with housing shortages based on the pattern mentioned in the literature. It looks at the methods employed to provide housing in Wales, in the United Kingdom (UK), and the strategies used to achieve this, and makes links to the situation in Nigeria in order to strengthen the country's housing institutions, restructure the systems, and create a more robust housing sector so that a balance between urban and rural housing units may be achieved.

The Assumed Shortage of Housing in Pakistan

“We are short of 10 million housing units” has been the clarion cry in politics, media and the donor-driven research for the last 10 years. Given an average household size of well over six persons, this means that nearly one-third of the population is without housing. Do we see such a huge number of people living on footpaths, side of roads, under bridges or in any open area? Thankfully, NO! We cannot find any clarity on where this huge figure of 10 million housing shortage came from!

COVID RUINS, TOMORROW'S HOMES? ANALYSIS OF AN ADAPTIVE RE-USE APPROACH TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR METROPOLITAN CITIES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH

Acute housing shortage and empty office spaces are likely to emerge as critical urban issues of the post-pandemic (COVID-19) metropolitan cities, considering that the ‘new norms’ of existential patterns have brought about visible socio-economic impacts. With the remote work lifestyle, the commercial real estate litter with underutilised public buildings. Thus, begging the question “could these corporate buildings effectively transform to provide affordable housing in metropolitan cities?” This paper focuses on adaptive reuse as an urban resilience strategy for metropolitan cities in the global south, using Lagos, Nigeria, as a context for the study. The opportunities and challenges of adaptive reuse are considered by reviewing the responses of cities to similar urban crises in the past. Existing literature was reviewed and analysed through a comprehensive desktop research to understand the urban implication of unused spaces in developing countries, effect of policy on adaptive reuse and the implication of adaptation outcomes on affordability. Based on the findings, a research gap was identified. Primary data was collected using online survey and the results were analysed. An adaptive reuse strategy is recommended for housing the youths and the middle class in underused cooperate buildings within cities of developing countries. This paper concludes that reuse of office spaces provides an excellent opportunity for a sustainable housing strategy in metropolitan cities of developing countries through tactical designing and planning approaches, informed by the peculiarities of the society identified within participatory design processes. Keywords: Urban Strategy, Global South, Pandemic, COVID-19, Changing Urban Pattern, Affordable Housing, Circular Economy, Housing Crisis, Sustainable Spaces, Adaptive Reuse

Housing and Reincorporation Strategies in post-Conflict Colombia: Mismatch of micro-level visions and macro-scale approaches

There is a consensus among scholars and policy makers that durable peace after violent conflicts is contingent upon addressing affected communities’ livelihood needs and, in particular, housing. Post-conflict reconstruction is challenging, but at the same time an opportunity to address pre-existing housing deficits. In this Update, we present the ongoing endeavours of a community of former combatants to establish a mutual aid housing cooperative in Colombia following the peace agreement of 2016 and their efforts to attain affordable and adequate housing in a context characterised by a fragile peace process and unfavourable housing policies. We focus here on the interlinkages between micro-level visions, aspirations and strategies of the communities involved in the establishment of housing cooperatives and macro-level political and institutional factors enabling or constraining their emergence in post-conflict Colombia. Attention is drawn to opportunities to contest existing housing systems and to advocate for other forms of housing.

Analysing Impediments to the Effective Distribution of Low-income Housing in South Africa: The Case of the Delft Symphony Community in Cape Town

One of the dilemmas facing the post-Apartheid government in South Africa is the shortage of housing, often expressing itself in the rapid increase of informal settlements, especially in urban townships. The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to examine key impediments to the effective distribution of low-income housing with the Delft Symphony community in Cape Town used as its contextual focus. To achieve this, content and cross-analytical approaches were used to analyse some crucial insights from the Theory of Justice, the self-help housing model and the empirical findings from 28 key informants was done to gain better insights into various housing dynamics in the Delft Symphony community. Subsequently, poor planning and lack of suitable land for housing, particularly in urban spaces, were identified as key impediments to the effective implementation of low-income housing. This study submits that this situation demands a timeous response from authorities because an increase in population means a high demand for land. Pending short-and-long term solutions, the city will experience land invasions, which might even occur in the areas reserved for other developmental purposes. Therefore, there is a need for collective action to fast-track the processes of land approval for low-income housing in the likes of the Delft Symphony community. Keywords: Challenges, Delft Symphony Community, Housing Delivery, Informal Settlements, Low-income Housing

The psychosocial dimension of housing in Nunavik: does social support vary with household crowding?

Studies show that living in overcrowded households can contribute to the erosion of social support, which is an important factor in health and well-being. In this study, we examine the relationship between household crowding and social support for Inuit living in Nunavik (hereafter referred to as Nunavimmiut), a region where housing shortages are considered a serious public health problem. We assess whether overcrowding is associated with lower levels of perceived social support and whether this association varies by gender and age group. Cross-sectional data are from Qanuilirpitaa? the 2017 Nunavik Health Survey (N = 1306; aged 16 years and older). A perceived social support index was derived from answers to questions related to three different components of social support: positive interaction, emotional support, and love and affection. Associations between overcrowding (more than one person per room) and perceived social support were assessed using weighted linear and logistic regressions, adjusted for several factors. Sex- and age-stratified analyses were also conducted. Nunavimmiut report significantly lower levels of social support when living in overcrowded households, independently of other covariates. Analyses stratified by sex and age further show that the detrimental association between overcrowding and perceived social support is higher and stronger for men and older adults (both men and women 55 years and older). Overcrowding is associated with lower levels of perceived social support, which is a key component of health for the general population and for Nunavimmiut. Future research should examine the factors creating stronger associations between overcrowding and lower social support for men and older adults.

Behaviour of Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum panels as Walls: An Update on the Recent Research Developments

The current housing shortage problem in the country, especially among the low-income groups and the necessity to address their shelter needs, led to the introduction of Glass fibre reinforced gypsum (GFRG) panels in India. These panels were originally developed in Australia in 1990 and later introduced in India, China, Hong Kong and other countries. They are light-weight, load-bearing walls used for rapid construction of affordable and eco-friendly houses (individual units to multi-storeyed buildings) and are being used in India for more than a decade. These are prefabricated in controlled-conditions in factories, from gypsum plaster reinforced with glass fibres along with certain special additives and are available in a fixed size of 12 m length, 3 m height and 124 mm thickness. The panels are hollow, with cavities of size, 230 × 94 mm, aligned along the height. These panels can resist axial, in-plane and out-of-plane loads and various studies conducted worldwide established the suitability of the panel for the construction of walls, slabs, staircases and parapet walls. GFRG buildings consist of GFRG panels as walls and slabs (without any beams and columns) and can be constructed up to 5-8 storeys in low to moderate seismic zones, and lesser height in higher seismic zones. Thus to properly understand the structural behaviour of the GFRG building system and to develop a proper design guideline, comprehensive research works were undertaken in India and other countries which includes the study to determine the various material and structural properties of the panel and this paper presents a critical review of the experimental and theoretical investigations on the structural behaviour of GFRG wall panels.

Butt Jointing of Prefabricated Concrete Columns

In response to housing shortages in densely inhabited urban areas, there is a search for structural engineering solutions for serial and modular construction. Prefabricated concrete columns can make an important difference. Using industrial manufacturing processes, it is possible to produce highly loadable, durable and true-to-size columns that enable accelerated construction progress and dismantling or reuse of the components at the end of the structure’s economic life. However, there are challenges in designing the detachable connection between highly loaded columns due to an undesired reduction of the load-bearing capacity on the one hand and a high sensitivity to geometrical deviations on the other hand. To investigate the load-bearing and deformation behaviour of butt-jointed columns, large-scale component tests as well as three-dimensional numerical analyses using the finite element method were carried out. The analyses show that measures to increase the stiffness of the joint, such as thicker steel plates, lower mortar thickness, etc., lead to an increase of the ultimate load. It could also be demonstrated that butt-jointed columns are very sensitive to unevenness of the end faces. Finally, the investigations allow first conclusions on the design and detailing of detachable compression connections between prefabricated concrete columns.

Addressing housing deficits from a multi-dimensional perspective: a review of Chilean housing policy

After decades of battling the quantitative and qualitative housing deficits, Latin American countries are seeing new types of challenges in housing. Neoliberal policies favouring individual (low-cost) homeownership have weakened social trust and solidarity between neighbours, and some housing areas face poor urban amenities. An example of this is Chile, where housing policy measures have brought adverse effects such as deteriorating housing quality and the relocation of families to peripheral areas. This has caused the breakdown of family ties, community life, and social cohesion. Although various studies on the housing deficit in Chile have been carried out, these studies have not comprehensively addressed the multiple dimensions of housing. Therefore, this review explores how Chilean housing policies have addressed the housing deficit from four dimensions: quantitative, qualitative, urban, and social. To this end, we reviewed Chilean housing policies and programmes and their response to the housing deficit from the neoliberal period onwards. We found that these policies and interventions have focused on solving the quantitative and, to a lesser extent, qualitative and urban deficits while sparsely addressing the non-physical or intangible social dimension. We conclude this article with recommendations to address the social deficit of housing in future policies.

A machine learning approach for predicting critical factors determining adoption of offsite construction in Nigeria

PurposeSeveral factors influence OSC adoption, but extant literature did not articulate the dominant barriers or drivers influencing adoption. Therefore, this research has not only ventured into analyzing the core influencing factors but has also employed one of the best-known predictive means, Machine Learning, to identify the most influencing OSC adoption factors.Design/methodology/approachThe research approach is deductive in nature, focusing on finding out the most critical factors through literature review and reinforcing — the factors through a 5- point Likert scale survey questionnaire. The responses received were tested for reliability before being run through Machine Learning algorithms to determine the most influencing OSC factors within the Nigerian Construction Industry (NCI).FindingsThe research outcome identifies seven (7) best-performing algorithms for predicting OSC adoption: Decision Tree, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbour, Extra-Trees, AdaBoost, Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network. It also reported finance, awareness, use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and belief in OSC as the main influencing factors.Research limitations/implicationsData were primarily collected among the NCI professionals/workers and the whole exercise was Nigeria region-based. The research outcome, however, provides a foundation for OSC adoption potential within Nigeria, Africa and beyond.Practical implicationsThe research concluded that with detailed attention paid to the identified factors, OSC usage could find its footing in Nigeria and, consequently, Africa. The models can also serve as a template for other regions where OSC adoption is being considered.Originality/valueThe research establishes the most effective algorithms for the prediction of OSC adoption possibilities as well as critical influencing factors to successfully adopting OSC within the NCI as a means to surmount its housing shortage.

Research of Geometric and Information Models for Awning Structures

The article analyzes membrane (awning) structures, which become relevant due to their cost-effectiveness and the creation of original forms. The characteristics of awning structures, the possibilities of molding, the use of various materials and combined options for com-bining an awning with other materials are considered. Due to their cost-effectiveness, tent structures are becoming increasingly popular today, because in modern socio-economic conditions there is a need for the rapid construction of low-cost buildings to overcome the shortage of mobile housing and structures for other purposes. In the conditions of restoration of the lost objects of buildings and structures, the use of tent coverings is important. Their development was held back for a long time due to the non-compliance of domestic tent materials with the high requirements for tent coverings of this type, namely: strength, durability, color diversity, light fastness, etc. The use of hinged struc-tures allows you to create small architectural forms and mobile build-ingsthat are not only quickly erected, but also easilytransformed in accordance with a change in functionality. This allows you to create new types of objects, such as stadiums, airports, giant greenhouses, bo-tanical gardens, warehouses, etc. Modern technologies combine the advantages of industrial construction methods with the individualiza-tion of form and open the way to the use of various awning structures. Membrane coatings, as one of the modern trends in the presentation of a new form of roofing, create new spatial characteristics of architectur-al objects. They form expanses freed from bulky internal structures. The freedom of space determines the flexibility and functionality of its use, a high degree of adaptation and, as a result, the durability of the space and structure. Having a wide variety of forms, this type of coat-ing has broad prospects for use along with other architectural and struc-tural systems. To ensure such characteristics, the article proposes an in-formation model of the proportionality of the elements of the architec-tural form, established on the basis of the information modularity of the relations of the elements for the volumetric structure.

Three‐Generation Households in a Central and Eastern European Country: The Case of Hungary

Using data from censuses and a microcensus between 1980 and 2016, this study examines the trends in three‐generational living arrangements, along with the factors that determine the prevalence and characteristics of the phenomenon in Hungary. Apart from the period between 1990 and 2001, the proportion of three‐generation households declined in all periods among households with children. In the decade after 1990, the rate increased due to the post‐transition economic recession and the severe housing shortage. The factors predicting a higher risk of three‐generation households were fairly consistent across the period considered, and the direction of the effect remained stable. However, some of those factors became more relevant over time (e.g., the education level of parents and single parenthood) and some became less relevant (e.g., rural residence). Meanwhile, three‐generation living is increasingly linked to social disadvantage, which is also the leading cause of poverty. This living arrangement is strongly associated with a stage in life where young people start to have children. Using data from the Hungarian Generations and Gender Survey, we determine that three‐generation living affects a significant proportion of families with children at a particular, relatively brief stage in their lives.

The Rise and Fall of Social Housing? Housing Decommodification in Long-run Comparison

AbstractThe comparative study of housing decommodification lags behind classical welfare state research, while housing research itself is rich in homeownership studies but lacks comparative accounts of private and social rentals due to missing comparative data. Building on existing works and various primary sources, this study presents a new collection of up to forty-eight countries’ social housing shares in stock and new construction since the first housing laws around 1900. The interpolated benchmark time series generally describes the rise and fall of social housing across a residual, a socialist, and a Northern-European housing group. The decline was steeper than for the classical welfare state, but the degree of erosion was surprisingly small in some countries where public housing associations remained resilient. Within the broader housing welfare state, social housing correlates positively with rent regulation and allowances, but negatively with homeownership subsidies and liberal mortgage regulation. A multivariate analysis shows that social housing is rather explained by housing shortages and complementarities with rental and welfare policies than by typical welfare state theories (GDP, political parties). Generally, the paper shows that conventional housing typologies are difficult to defend over time and argues more generally for including housing decommodification in welfare state research.