scholarly journals Low income housing problems and low-income housing solutions: opportunities and challenges in Bulawayo

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 927-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chigwenya Average

Abstract The provision of housing for the low-income has been a major problem in many countries and the developing world has been hard hit. This inability has been the chief cause of the burgeoning slum settlement in cities of the globe where one billion people live in slum areas. The solution to the housing problem lies in the opening up of stakeholders’ participation in the provision of housing, where government, non-governmental organisation, multilateral agencies and the community can play a critical role. Critical in the whole process is the participation of urban poor in the provision of housing for the poor, where they are critical actors in defining housing programmes that best suit the urban poor. This research seeks to analyse the initiatives that have been taken by the urban poor in the city of Bulawayo in providing housing for the poor. The research made use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in investigating the matter. Questionnaire was the main instrument to collect quantitative data and interviews and field observations were used to collect qualitative data. The research showed that there are a lot positive initiatives by the urban poor in the city of Bulawayo to provide house for the urban poor and these initiatives appear appealing to the poor as they are giving them a roof over their heads, which was never a dream in their lives. Though they appear noble they however fall far too short to provide sustainable housing to the poor as they appear to be a potential health hazard for the city. There is need for city authorities or any interested stakeholder to provide more support to such initiatives so that they can provide more sustainable housing for the poor. This will produce a housing scheme that will contribute to reduction of slum dwellers as called by the Millennium Development Goals.

2013 ◽  
Vol 849 ◽  
pp. 218-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayatat Tonmitr

Housing for the poor in Thailand in a period of a decade, Baan Mankong Programme (BMP) has been largely focused. This paper focuses on an architectural engineering point of view to explore the housing phenomena with its conversion as well as the usage of extension materials. Extension materials are clarified and made categorizations to unveil the trends of practical urban poor housing case, Bang Bua community in Bangkok, Thailand. Two types of extension were apparent which roof and wall extensions are. The imperative factors to be determined for the extension materials consist of easiness of affordability, easiness of installation, materials cost, durability of usage as well as social situation; safety for instance.


Author(s):  
Totok Dwi Kuryanto ◽  
Irawati Irawati ◽  
Nanang Saiful Rizal

The main objective of the Technology for the Society (IbM) is aimed at addressing the main problems faced by approximately 200 urban poor, namely: (1) The location of the residence located on the edge of the city with a distance society of about 10 km from urban areas. (2) Low economic level or low income about Rp.600.000 / month so it can not meet the basic needs and lift the economy of the surrounding community. The specific target in this IbM program is to apply Batako engine utilization technology to improve the quality and quantity of local Batako production of marginalized urban communities which originally produced only Batako blocks of about 200 seeds to 1000 seeds per day and increased concrete compressive strength. from 175 Kg / cm2 to 225 Kg / cm2, thereby increasing employment for the surrounding communities and increasing the income of business actors and partner workers. The method of implementation to solve the problems of the program partners of IbM is to increase the added value of community income through the utilization of Batako chili type which includes the stages: (a) Thesocialization of Batako IbM program; (b) Preparing social prerequisites, such as strengthening rural community groups, groups and forums as a medium to meet and solve problems faced by farmers or the poor; (c) Implementation of Batako IbM program, supported by related institutions (Dinas Cipta Karya Kabupaten Lumajang and University (Faculty of Engineering, Muhammadiyah University of Jember), and (d) Monitoring, evaluation and reporting.


Urban Studies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1967-1982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Deng

This paper develops a theoretical framework for institutional analysis of the governance of low-income housing in the city. I focus on the provision of local public goods as a central issue for low-income housing. Factors that affect the governance structure from the efficiency perspective and the equity perspective, respectively, are explored. I argue that over-subsidisation is an important problem for income-redistribution institutions and, hence, public housing or social housing becomes an important form of governmental intervention in low-income housing. The framework is then applied to low-income housing in China. In particular, I analyse the governance structures of several major types of low-income housing including public rental housing, private low-income housing, work-unit compound and urban village.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujayita Bhattacharjee ◽  
Sanjukta Sattar

PurposeThe lives of the poor in the urban spaces of India are filled with hardships. They live amidst poverty and struggle to survive within other problems such as insecure jobs, lack of proper housing, unsanitary conditions and low levels of health immunity. This vulnerable section of the population has been rendered furthermore vulnerable by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in ways that were never imagined before. Taking this into consideration, the purpose of this article is to examine the vulnerability of the poor in the urban settings of India with special reference to Mumbai in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted in the study is based on the analysis of secondary data and content analysis of the existing literature. In addition to this, the study also makes use of certain narratives of the urban poor in Mumbai that have been captured by various articles, reports and blogs.FindingsThe findings of the study reveal how the urban poor of India, with special reference to Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has emerged as the worst sufferers of the socioeconomic crisis caused by the social distancing and lockdown measures imposed for combating the pandemic.Originality/valueThe study tries to explore the reality of the urban poor's right to the city in the wake of the pandemic.


2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-49
Author(s):  
Marielle Dubbeling ◽  
Laura Bracalenti ◽  
Laura Lagorio

Urban agriculture is increasingly recognized for its potential contribution to more sustainable urban development. Urban agriculture includes the cultivation and raising, processing and marketing of food and non-food crops, medicinal and aromatic herbs, fruit trees, as well as animal products within urban and periurban areas. Urban agriculture positively impacts urban food security, local economic development, environmental management and community building. To reconcile the demands posed by urban growth with urban agriculture activities of high social and economic value, urban agriculture however should be included into land use planning and design, and regulated by municipalities, assuring its proper management and avoiding potential health and environmental risks. Open and green urban spaces could be designed for multifunctional urban agriculture and combine natural habitat, food production, educational, recreational and leisure activities. Such design processes would benefit from broad participation of urban planners and architects, urban farmers, citizens and slum inhabitants as to enhance ownership and engagement, more effectively use available local resources and give the process a higher credibility and wider outreach. This article shares the experience of Rosario, Argentina where the city planners and University staff collaborated with two low-income communities in the design and implementation of a multifunctional neighborhood park, public square and road reserve. A step-by-step participatory design process was followed: starting from initial visioning, defining and relating the various existing and multi-functional land uses desired, to elaborating the site plan, and agreeing on implementation procedures. The article briefly contextualizes the site and its inhabitants, illustrates the design process and the results achieved and highlights some of the problems encountered. Participatory design of open spaces for urban agriculture in Rosario- though a complex process- proved to have contributed to improving socio-economic and environmental conditions in the city, while also serving as a source of inspiration to other cities in the region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Oviedo ◽  
Lynn Scholl ◽  
Marco Innao ◽  
Lauramaria Pedraza

Investments in public transit infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean often aim to reduce spatial and social inequalities by improving accessibility to jobs and other opportunities for vulnerable populations. One of the central goals of Lima’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was to connect low-income populations living in the peripheries to jobs in the city center, a policy objective that has not yet been evaluated. Building on secondary datasets of employment, household socio-demographics and origin–destination surveys before and after the BRT began operations, this paper examines the contribution of Lima’s BRT system to accessibility to employment in the city, particularly for low-income public transit users. We estimated the effects on potential accessibility to employment, comparing impacts on lower versus higher income populations, and assessed the changes in location-based accessibility to employment before (2004) and after implementation (2012) for treatment and comparison groups. We found that the BRT line reduced travel times for commuters to reach jobs, in comparison with traditional public transport in the city. However, the coverage of the BRT declines in areas with high concentrations of poor populations, limiting the equitability of accessibility improvements. The analysis by socioeconomic sub-groups found positive effects of the BRT system on accessibility for the higher income areas. Relative to the control group, accessibility increased in the 10-km boundary area of the BRT by 0.01, a seven percent increase relative to the treatment baseline accessibility index in the higher socioeconomic (SES) areas of the city. In contrast, in the areas with high concentrations of lower SES populations, the double difference estimate indicated an 11 percent decrease relative to the baseline accessibility index (0.09). We build on case-specific findings and international literature to reflect on policy avenues to include the poor in the mobility benefits of BRT systems. These measures include targeted fare subsidies for low-income groups, fare integration with other forms of public transport that reduce the cost of transfers, and the increase of coverage of the BRT through the integration of stations with non-motorized infrastructure.


2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Wilfredo Prilles

Initiated in 1989, the KsK programme (literally Partners in Development) shows how a tri-partite approach of pooling resources and capabilities of private landowners, city and central government and the poor can be used to improve urban living conditions. Strong political will and an enlightened perception of the poor has enabled a city government to reduce poverty, manage urbanisation and improve quality of life in urban areas. Eighty-one per cent of the 7,400 low-income houses have been improved to date. Strong community participation has been a vital factor in achieving this success.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 508-528
Author(s):  
Kayoumars Irandoost ◽  
Milad Doostvandi ◽  
Todd Litman ◽  
Mohammad Azami

Purpose This paper aims to present a critical analysis of placemaking by the urban poor based on the Right to the City, Henri Lefebvre’s influential theory regarding the production of space and placemaking. Design/methodology/approach This study reflects Lefebvre’s production of space and the right to the city theories and containing three main pillars including holism, the urban and praxis, and the use of spatial dialectics. Also, for collecting information in this research, along with scrutiny of documents and books, residents of the poor settlements of Sanandaj have also been interviewed. Findings In Sanandaj, urban poor who lack formal housing reclaim the Right to City by creating informal settlements. Such settlements, such as Shohada, Baharmast and Tagh Taghan, cover 23% of the city’s area but house 69% of the urban population. Originality/value This research seeks to understand placemaking in urban slums by low-income inhabitants using Henry Lefebvre’s critical theory of social production of space and the Right to the City. This case study examines the city of Sanandaj, Iran, where most residents are poor and live in cooperative informal settlements. It illustrates how the urban poor, as marginalized inhabitants, overcome the constraints of conventional planning and property ownership to creatively and cooperatively develop communities that reflect their needs. This indicates a schism between formal and informal sectors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-250
Author(s):  
Alak Paul ◽  
Md Nakib Haider ◽  
Naznin Nahar Sultana

Background: The rapid rate of urbanization in Bangladesh has created some adverse effects on the overall urban environmental health of the cities. Among all, mass poverty, expansion of poor neighbourhood, inadequate supply of urban services such as water, sanitation, waste disposal etc. are mostly responsible for health risks of urban people particularly in low income areas. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to determine the health risks of the environmentally poor neighbourhoods in Chittagong city by exploring the discourse of pollution, risk, and stigma. Methods: The study is predominantly based on qualitative data collection methods like participant observations, a case study and FGDs. The method has delivered an in-depth understanding of the pollution-related risks, the physical and mental sufferings of the urban poor due to  pollution. Though it is solely a qualitative study, the study is complemented  by a quantitative survey method and  personal interviews. Findings: The study revealed that there are two leading environmental risk factors– the structural setting of the neighbourhood and coping practices to everyday life of the poor settlers, who  affect the neighbourhood environment. The poor structured living houses, shared kitchens in the environmentally hazardous area, dirty playgrounds, unhygienic latrines, and waste disposal sites near neighbourhoods enhance the risk of diseases and injuries for inhabitants. Similarly, lack of access to pure drinking water, fuel, are generating health risks. Consequently, dwellers, especially women and children, suffer from cough and cold, diarrhoea, gastric/acidity, worm disease, respiratory illness, scabies, headache, allergy, and jaundice regular interval of time. Conclusion: The study concludes that  physical structure of the neighbourhood, and the physical and mental sufferings of its inhabitants are interdependent. To reduce the sufferings of inhabitants and their health hazards can be reduced with the combined efforts of the  Government and the NGOs and  the local people as well.  Implications: This findings of the study can be useful to the  concerned authorities of Bangladesh in planning appropriate policies to  control pollution and minimize health risks.  For that purpose this study can serve as reference.


1977 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-124
Author(s):  
Timothy O'Dea Gauhan

In a setting as complex as the modern city we can expect that a number of diverse factors wil combine to influence the urban environment and the quality of life and well being of those who reside in it. In the major cities of the developing world, where change is typically rapid, economic and social relationships are diverse, and the patterns of development are often different and in some ways more complex than those of the cities of industrialized nations, and the forces which shape the character of urban life are particularly numerous and often confusing.The present paper examines a single component of the total environment of the Latin American city of Bogotá, Colombia: the low-income housing market. We begin by looking at some of the more important environmental, socioeconomic, and political factors that have shaped the character of the low-income housing market of the city, with an emphasis on the impact of public policy.


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