Affordable Research Articles

To Study the Construction Techniques for Slum Rehabilitation In Metro Cites

With increasing urbanization, the need for adequate affordable shelter also increases. Housing shortage is one of the major challenges faced in developing countries like India. It is imperative to provide housing that caters to all income groups with special focus on the low and middle income groups. In order to provide low cost housing, it is essential to adopt innovative sustainable technologies which are affordable, fast track, cost effective, durable as well as environment friendly. This seminar discusses emerging innovative technologies that can be adopted in the country to lower housing construction cost and help in provision of mass affordable housing. Some of the technologies discussed are Tunnel form, Sismo building technology, Light Gauge Steel Framed Structural technology, Precast Sandwich Panel technology etc. These technologies are reviewed on various parameters like local availability, affordability, energy efficiency, structural stability, quality, speed, cost effectiveness, eco friendliness and suitability for high rise construction. The advantages and limitations of the technologies are also mentioned. The seminar highlights the potential barriers for adoption of these technologies in the Indian urban scenario and methods which can be employed to overcome those barriers in order to provide affordable housing for the low and middle income groups. Fast track construction is very much essential for the mass housing projects like slum rehabilitation . For this rapid wall technique can be best option for construction

Overcoming Deterrents to Modular Construction in Affordable Housing: A Systematic Review

The study aims to identify and categorise the deterrents to adopting modular construction (MC) in affordable housing (AH), revealing their interconnections, and proposing strategies to overcome them. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, followed by Pareto analysis and total interpretive structural modelling (TISM). A total of 75 deterrents were identified from 46 studies, spanning 7 categories: environmental, social and cultural, technical and construction, industry and market, administrative and bureaucratic, economic, and regulatory and policy. The top deterrent category was found to be economic, specifically high initial investment costs and financing challenges. Significant deterrents, particularly economic ones, that impede the adoption of MC in AH are revealed. The interconnectedness of these deterrents highlights the need for comprehensive strategies addressing multiple categories simultaneously. Mitigation strategies and countermeasures are proposed to facilitate the adoption of MC. The study is based on the existing literature, which may have limitations in terms of capturing all possible deterrents. Further empirical research is needed to validate and expand upon these findings. A critical gap is filled by this study, which systematically categorises and analyses deterrents to MC in AH and proposes actionable strategies to mitigate them, thereby contributing to more effective and widespread adoption of MC. The findings are valuable to both global audiences and Australian stakeholders and provide insights that allow the barriers to MC in AH to be overcome.

A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a Composite Bamboo Shear Wall System Developed for El Salvador

To meet the UN sustainable development goal targets by 2030, it is necessary to provide adequate, resilient, and affordable housing solutions which are also low-carbon. In the context of affordable housing in El Salvador, an improved vernacular construction system, following the composite bamboo shear wall (CBSW) technology, has been developed as a feasible option to fill the current housing deficit. A life cycle assessment (LCA) has been conducted comparing a house built using the CBSW system with a reinforced concrete hollow block masonry system, considering the A1 to A5 (raw material production and manufacture) and B4 (replacement) life cycle modules. The LCA scope was limited to modules where there was sufficient confidence in the inputs. End-of-life modules were excluded as there is a large degree of uncertainty in the end-of-life scenarios for these materials in the regional context. The LCA results show that the CBSW system has approximately 64% of the global warming potential (GWP) of the reinforced masonry house, and when considering biogenic carbon, this reduces to 53%. There is additional potential to minimise impacts and maximise end-of-life opportunities (e.g., re-use, biofuel, etc.) for the biomaterials within the CBSW system, if considering modules beyond the scope of this paper, and this needs further study. Nevertheless, the results from this LCA—of limited A1 to A5 and B4 scope—show that the CBSW system has significant sustainability advantages over conventional construction systems and is considered a promising solution to alleviate the housing deficit in El Salvador.

Structural Disadvantage in Housing Opportunities

This paper discusses the ways that race and migration have shaped the housing opportunities people experience in England. It explores the historical development of policy and practice that has shaped racial inequalities in housing. It argues that the violence created by national and local state-supported housing policies has disproportionately affected racialised minorities, as has the slow violence generated by the neglect and stigmatisation of working-class housing. In turn, this has provided the justification for clearances and the remaking of space for those with the money to invest in the financialisation of land and housing through dispossession and denial of the right to safe, secure, and affordable housing. This analysis will be used as a basis to propose ways in which housing research can develop a coherent, critical perspective to race and migration and develop an alternative discourse to challenge the dominant market-driven, individualistic narratives. Adopting a critical approach allows researchers to move beyond the logic of housing policies at national and local levels to analyse and propose action to address persistent racial inequalities in housing.

Examining the Realization of Residential Satisfaction in the State’s New Housing Projects, with Reference to Cairo, Egypt

Abstract Egypt is currently witnessing unprecedented development in the sector of low-income housing. Up to this point, little research has been conducted to determine how such projects contribute to genuine residents’ satisfaction. Residential satisfaction refers to the sense of contentment that one experiences when their housing needs are met. Residential satisfaction was intended to reveal not just what the existing living conditions were like but also which aspects the government should focus on improving for future low-income housing schemes. The concept of residency encompasses physical, psychological, and social aspects, making it a multifaceted and intricate idea. This paper will address residential satisfaction in relation to the three domains: housing unit, neighborhood, and social environment, as well as the socio-economic characteristics of the occupants, which have also received relatively little investigation. The objective of this study is to identify the factors that contribute to the residential satisfaction of low-income housing in Al-Asmarat. The study adopts a quantitative analysis of a purpose-designed questionnaire survey that investigates residential satisfaction in one of the state’s new low-income housing projects. Data was collected from 120 respondents living in the Al-Asmarat project to evaluate their residential satisfaction. The results showed that residents expressed high levels of satisfaction with many aspects of their new housing project and dissatisfaction with other aspects, for example: 1-Plumbing 2-Internet connection in Housing unit and 1-Living Costs 2-Job opportunities in Neighborhood. Additionally, residents prioritized the following parameters in housing units: level of quietness, residents’ sense of attachment to the unit, and proximity of services. Regarding the neighborhood, they prioritized: residents’ sense of attachment to the neighborhood; the level of street cleanliness; the presence of a youth center; positive official response to residents’ complaints; and aesthetic standards of the streets. Concerning the social environment, they prioritized: the strength of relations between neighbors and the degree of safety in Al-Asmarat city. In summary, it is suggested that the findings of this study may help developers and policymakers improve future low-income housing projects in Egypt towards the development of a better built environment.

Incentivising the market to build affordable housing: The New York City toolkit

Affordable housing is among the biggest policy challenges facing cities worldwide. Treating New York City as a case study, this paper reviews a multifaceted toolkit to combat the housing crisis. Specifically, the analysis focuses on how the government incentivises real estate developers to build affordable housing, with both financial incentives such as tax abatements, tax credits and loans funded by tax-exempt bonds and non-financial means such as zoning regulations. The study demonstrates both the successes achieved by New York City and the unintended consequences that emerged from these interventions, and the research argues that beyond financial and economic considerations, long-range spatial planning factors play a pivotal role in the formulation of effective affordable housing policies. The research underscores the need for policy makers globally to take a holistic approach and integrate various elements of city growth to address the intricate challenges posed by housing crises in urban environments.

Does receipt of social housing impact mental health? Results of a quasi-experimental study in the Greater Toronto Area

Affordable housing is commonly described as an important determinant of health, but there are relatively few intervention studies of the effects of housing on health. In this paper, we describe the results of a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study investigating the impacts of receiving social housing among a cohort of 502 people on waitlists for social housing in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Specifically, we sought to determine if adults who received housing were more likely than a control group to show improvements in depression, psychological distress, and self-rated mental health 6, 12 and 18 months after moving to housing. Amongst the participants, 137 received social housing and completed at least one follow-up interview; 304 participants did not receive housing and completed at least one follow-up interview and were treated as a control group (47 people provided data to both groups). The difference-in-differences technique was used to estimate the effect of receiving housing by comparing changes in the outcomes over time in the housed (intervention) group and the group that remained on the waitlist for social housing (control group). Adjusted mixed effects linear models showed that receiving housing resulted in significant decreases in psychological distress and self-rated mental health between the groups. Improvements in self-rated mental health between the groups were observed 6, 12 and 18 months after receiving housing (6 months, +2.9, p <0.05; 12 months, +2.6, p <0.05; 18 months, +3.0, p <0.05). Reductions in psychological distress (-1.4, p <0.05) were observed 12 months after receiving housing. Overall findings suggest that receiving subsidized housing improves mental health over a 6-to-18-month time horizon. This has policy and funding implications suggesting a need to reduce wait times and expand access to subsidized housing.

An exploration of live–work housing conditions of low-income older people in Bangkok, Thailand

ABSTRACT This article explores live–work housing conditions for low-income older residents in an informal settlement in Bangkok called Klong Toey (KT) via interviews with 12 participants. The aim is to understand the housing and livelihood situation of older low-income inhabitants of KT, to assess the suitability of their physical environment and areas that could be improved to enable it to serve as live–work housing and to facilitate aging in place, and to inform future work. Participants were asked about the housing conditions in KT and their impact on residents; types of housing for older people in KT; design guidelines for live–work housing; and any lessons from other low-income housing projects. The study used content analysis to examine the interview transcripts. Four organizing themes were used to analyze the responses: housing conditions and relation to live–work; situation and requirements of older people’s housing; live–work housing design guidelines; and solutions to older people’s live–work housing. Finally, four global conceptual domains of live–work housing were constructed from mapping the basic themes. The global conceptual domains include “space,” “livelihood,” “support,” and “services” that are essential to the provision of live–work housing in KT.

“A home to grow old in”: The challenge of non-metropolitan housing to support healthy ageing-in-place

Access to suitable and affordable housing for older residents is critical to healthy ageing-in-place. Unfortunately, many non-metropolitan communities do not have the housing stock needed to support residents as they age. This is because industrial restructuring and resource frontier ageing processes have led to limited reinvestment in, and expansion of, ageing housing assets that were designed for a young workforce. Such deficiencies can have cascading impacts not only on the quality-of-life for seniors, but also on community capacity to address overall housing needs. This paper includes a three-part review. After a review of the international literature, the first part introduces data tracking demographic and housing change in 38 non-metropolitan communities across British Columbia (BC), Canada. The second reviews the literature and data on demographic change in Canada, BC, and two case communities – Houston and Tumbler Ridge. The third describes the rural housing landscape across the non-metropolitan BC sample and draws on the voices of older residents in the case communities to describe the lack of fit between the housing stock and the housing needs as people age.

Spatial Analysis of Rental Housing Affordability for Low- and Middle-Income Households in Istanbul

Spatial Analysis of Rental Housing Affordability for Low- and Middle-Income Households in Istanbul

The role of speculation on housing price disparities

This paper explores the impact of speculation on disparities in home purchase prices within neighborhoods. Using administrative data on residential real estate transactions in Singapore's private housing market, our analysis reveals that housing unit prices increase over time within a neighborhood in the presence of speculators. However, this pattern remains stable after the implementation of macroprudential policies aimed at deterring speculation. Our mechanism analysis indicates that while speculative sales contribute to the increase in the price of neighboring units over time, speculative purchases have negligible effects. These findings underscore the potential of macroprudential policies in mitigating speculation and promoting housing affordability.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN PAKISTAN: A COMPARISON BETWEEN LANDED AND VERTICAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN LAHORE

Pakistan has experienced substantial housing growth and stands as one of the most urbanised countries in South Asia, yet it grapples with a housing backlog exceeding 10 million units. The affordability challenges in Lahore are particularly acute. In the realm of affordable housing, there is a preference for vertical living over landed homes. However, no prior research has systematically examined the price correlation between apartment living and landed housing, along with the impact of policies in the context of neoliberal ideology within Pakistan. Neoliberalism, emphasising the superiority of the market over the state has been a dominant force influencing affordable housing strategies. With this backdrop of affordability and neoliberalism, this paper aims to examine the performance difference between landed and vertical housing development. This paper aims to draw an affordability comparison between landed and vertical housing development using a document review and market survey. The study used a qualitative approach employing a case study design. For the data collection, interpretative discourse analysis for public documents was performed, and field surveys for pricing evaluation were conducted in Lahore. The analysis revealed that apartments by the private sector are not affordable for low-income people, often characterised by larger sizes and lacking specific quotas for low-income residents. The study recommends a comprehensive review of building regulations, particularly focusing on specific provisions (quota) targeting low-income people in housing development.

Rent Burden and Demographic Change Among Veterans: A Research Brief

Housing affordability has worsened considerably over recent decades, and despite some progress, veterans remain relatively overrepresented among the unhoused. Nevertheless, veterans have historically been less impacted by housing affordability problems, whether this stems from factors such as greater access to homeownership, differential labor market returns related to veteran status or differences in the composition of the veteran population compared to non-veterans. In this study, we use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) from 1976 to 2021 to document how housing unaffordability has become a growing problem among veterans who rent. We first demonstrate how the prevalence of housing cost burden among veteran renters has converged with that of the general population over the past four and a half decades. Second, we use a decomposition analysis to identify the factors most relevant to these trends observed over the span of our data, observing that changes in household composition and growing representation of veterans across disability status, race, and gender account for significant components of rising cost burden prevalence. We conclude by reviewing policy solutions tailored to groups who are overrepresented among cost burdened veterans. Overall, we find that “rent eats first” for everyone—veterans and their families included.

Perceived Impacts of Tourism on Community Identity: Perspectives of Two Scottish Highland Communities

ABSTRACT The Scottish Highlands tourism industry has grown significantly due to the successful launch of the North Coast 500 route. This study investigates the perceived tourism impact on rural communities based on a survey and semi-structured interviews conducted in Elphin and Ullapool in 2021. By approaching community identity as a combination of emotional identity, functional identity, and community participation, the paper identifies key differences in the identities of two communities usually framed as belonging to one homogenous region. This provides host community perspectives on which aspects of their identities may be targeted to support effective tourism developments. We conclude that although the overall strength of both communities identities seem unaffected by growing tourism levels, they do shape their nature, particularly when different concerns intersect such as environmental degradation and limited affordable housing. Addressing resident concerns through meaningful contributions to decision-making processes is key to the success of regional tourism policies.

Politics in affordable housing provision: How partisan control of local councils influences planning choices

Politics in affordable housing provision: How partisan control of local councils influences planning choices

Addressing the Housing Shortage Gap in Nigeria: An exploration of Dry Construction Method

Due to Nigeria's housing shortage, which has been increasing since the late 20th century and currently stands at 20 million units with a loss rate of 780,000 units annually, Nigeria's construction industry has been under pressure to adopt a modern, timely, and premium construction strategy. This research aims to assess how the dry construction method affects mass housing delivery in developing countries, focusing on Nigeria. This study employed a qualitative research approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with sixteen experts and specialists in dry construction and housing who work for various organisations in Nigeria. The study concluded that, although dry construction is infrequently used in developing countries, it offers significant potential for emerging economies and mortgage companies to ensure prompt housing delivery. By reducing building time and improving housing accessibility, dry construction can address the current challenges of delivering affordable housing in Nigeria. To successfully implement the dry construction method in closing the housing deficit in Nigeria, the research also noted that the government must change its priority beyond direct house development towards creating a conducive framework for the industry. This study presents key stakeholders in the housing sector with the information they need to adopt and implement the dry construction method to close the housing gap, especially in Nigeria, which has received less attention.

Соціальні та економічні ефекти розвитку ринку іпотечного кредитування в умовах дії правового режиму воєнного стану

The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of the mortgage lending market in Ukraine and its impact on the socio-economic development of society. Housing mortgage lending allows the optimal combination of the interests of various parties as one of the most reliable ways of attracting private investment through the capitalization of residential real estate, – construction companies, financial and credit institutions, citizens, and the state. The mortgage lending system changes the needs of different social strata of the population, affecting the behavior strategy and adaptation to market conditions. Providing good living conditions contributes to improving the nation’s health, increasing life expectancy, and increasing the working capacity of the population, which are essential components of the country’s social capital. An assessment of the possibilities of stimulating this influence in the conditions of war and post-war recovery was carried out, and the necessary tools for strengthening the social orientation of mortgages were determined. The processes of implementing the state program «eOselia» as a vital tool for restoring mortgage lending to provide affordable housing for the population have been analyzed. The conclusions regarding the possibilities of developing mortgage lending in modern challenges and the need to implement strategic measures to stabilize and expand the housing market in Ukraine are substantiated. The development of the real estate market and mortgage lending is quite tricky due to the instability of the economic situation in the country, the war, and the population’s growing demand for the improvement of housing conditions. Therefore, the proper development of the mortgage lending market will contribute not only to the economy but also to the social development of the state. Thanks to reforms, state support programs, and technological innovations, Ukraine can create a more accessible and stable mortgage market, which will contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of citizens and general economic development. Keywords: mortgage, mortgage lending, mortgage lending market, state lending program.

SNAP Emergency Allotments, Emergency Rent Assistance, Rent Burden, and Housing and Food Security, June 2022-May 2023.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency allotments and emergency rent assistance provided support to low-income households. Rent burden, a form of housing insecurity, can severely limit household resources, which, in turn, affects health equity. We explored whether these policy interventions equitably supported households that were or were not experiencing rent burden. We used data from the US Household Pulse Survey (June 2022-May 2023) to examine whether associations between emergency support policies and indicators of food and housing security differed according to household rent burden status. We modeled each outcome (food sufficiency or being current on rent) as a function of policy exposure (SNAP emergency allotments or emergency rent assistance), rent burden, and their interaction. We included demographic characteristics, state of residence, and survey cycle as covariates. We modeled each outcome and policy exposure combination separately. Receiving emergency allotments (72.4% vs 67.2% for SNAP participants in states with and without emergency allotments, respectively) and emergency rent assistance (64.5% vs 57.6% for households that received and were waitlisted/denied assistance, respectively) were associated with greater food sufficiency. The relationship between emergency allotments and food sufficiency was stronger in rent-burdened households; however, emergency rent assistance supported food sufficiency to a greater extent in non-rent-burdened households. Emergency rent assistance supported households in being current on rent (78.7% vs 56.4% for households that received and were waitlisted/denied assistance, respectively) and supported being current on rent to a greater extent in non-rent-burdened households than in rent-burdened households. The relationship between emergency support policies and food or housing security differed according to whether households were experiencing rent burden. Associations were sometimes stronger in less economically constrained conditions. These results indicate an opportunity to better design policies to support low-income households, address food and housing security, and ultimately decrease the prevalence of chronic disease.

Inequality in the Distribution of Wealth and Income as a Natural Consequence of the Equal Opportunity of All Members in the Economic System Represented by a Scale-Free Network

The purpose of this work is to examine the nature of the historically observed and empirically described by the Pareto law inequality in the distribution of wealth and income in an economic system. This inequality is presumed to be the result of unequal opportunity by its members. An analytical model of the economic system consisting of a large number of actors, all having equal access to its total wealth (or income) has been developed that is formally represented by a scale-free network comprised of nodes (actors) and links (states of wealth or income). The dynamic evolution of the complex network can be mapped in turn, as is known, into a system of quantum particles (links) distributed among various energy levels (nodes) in thermodynamic equilibrium. The distribution of quantum particles (photons) at different energy levels in the physical system is then derived based on statistical thermodynamics with the attainment of maximal entropy for the system to be in a dynamic equilibrium. The resulting Planck-type distribution of the physical system mapped into a scale-free network leads naturally into the Pareto law distribution of the economic system. The conclusions of the scale-free complex network model leading to the analytical derivation of the empirical Pareto law are multifold. First, any complex economic system behaves akin to a scale-free complex network. Second, equal access or opportunity leads to unequal outcomes. Third, the optimal value for the Pareto index is obtained that ensures the optimal, albeit unequal, outcome of wealth and income distribution. Fourth, the optimal value for the Gini coefficient can then be calculated and be compared to the empirical values of that coefficient for wealth and income to ascertain how close an economic system is to its optimal distribution of income and wealth among its members. Fifth, in an economic system with equal opportunity for all its members there should be no difference between the resulting income and wealth distributions. Examination of the wealth and income distributions described by the Gini coefficient of national economies suggests that income and particularly wealth are far off from their optimal value. We conclude that the equality of opportunity should be the fundamental guiding principle of any economic system for the optimal distribution of wealth and income. The practical application of this conclusion is that societies ought to shift focus from policies such as taxation and payment transfers purporting to produce equal outcomes for all, a goal which is unattainable and wasteful, to policies advancing among others education, health care, and affordable housing for all as well as the re-evaluation of rules and institutions such that all members in the economic system have equal opportunity for the optimal utilization of resources and the distribution of wealth and income. Future research efforts should develop the scale-free complex network model of the economy as a complement to the current standard models.

Examining the nexus of building regulations, urban planning, and housing prices and affordability: insights from Prishtina, Kosovo

PurposeThe present study aims to investigate the relationship between building regulations, urban planning, and perceptions of housing affordability and prices in Prishtina, Kosovo.Design/methodology/approachA self-report survey with 1,000 respondents, selected through stratified probability sampling, provided the necessary data. Principal component analysis was applied to the questionnaire's internal structure, while regression analysis helped uncover housing affordability and housing prices perception predictors.FindingsThe study found that building regulation standards and zoning/land-use regulations reveal positive relationships with housing prices and housing affordability perception. Among these components, building regulations and standards show a stronger connection with housing affordability and price perception in comparison to urban planning and development.Research limitations/implicationsBy investigating the relationship between building regulations, urban planning, and housing affordability and price perception in Prishtina, the present research makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature. The findings of this research hold significant implications for policymakers, urban planners, and developers, highlighting the relevance of adopting a well-balanced approach to building regulations and urban planning in order to uphold and maintain housing affordability and understand housing price dynamics.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research originates from the investigation of these relationships within a rapidly urbanizing city context, contributing to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics between regulatory policies and outcomes in the housing market. Further research should examine additional dimensions and employ longitudinal designs to gain a deeper understanding of the components predicting housing affordability and price perception in Prishtina and similar urban contexts.