scholarly journals Addressing the Affordable Housing Challenges for Urban Poor in Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (IV) ◽  
pp. 416-433
Author(s):  
Zafar Iqbal Zafar ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Beenish Javaid
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Squatter Settlements ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
The Government

The rapid growth of urbanization has resulted in tremendous pressure on housing in urban areas, particularly for middle- and lower-income groups. The formal sector has been unable to cater to the affordable housing demand, particularly for urban poor. Islamabad is the planned city and capital of Pakistan; its development started in 1960. A number of squatter settlements have emerged in this planned city which are increasing with the passage of time. The government of Pakistan, realizing the gravity of the problem, started various programs and approached at different times to address this issue. This paper discusses various international and national approaches in this context. Squatter settlements in Islamabad have been visited, and field data were collected through a survey from France Colony Sector F-7/4, Islamabad and recommendations have been suggested in the light of international practices.

scholarly journals Towards eco-social housing in Vietnam: challenges and opportunities

2018 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 01001
Author(s):  
Van Thuong Le ◽  
Tuan Tran ◽  
Truc Truong
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Government

Since Doi Moi (Reform) policy in 1986, Vietnam has experienced rapid urbanization and economic growth. Urbanization has resulted in increasingly high housing demand in the urban areas but this has largely unmet, especially housing for low-income people. Development of social housing for low-income and under-privileged people in cities has been seen as an urgent and important task of the government to pursue stable social and economic development. Low-income people are most vulnerable to environmental impacts and in need of energy-efficient houses to reduce their cost of living. Eco-social housing is seen as a solution to protect the natural environment as well as to boost local economy, improve living conditions particularly for low income people. Through preliminary assessments of three social buildings at three distinct regions of Vietnam, this paper found that despite many challenges, eco-social housing is a solution to Vietnam's needs in providing houses with adequate living conditions to low-income people while protecting the environment and achieving sustainable eco-social development in the long run.

An analysis on housing affordability in Malaysian housing markets and the home buyers’ preference

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Soon ◽  
Consilz Tan
Keyword(s):  
Housing Policy ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Housing Price ◽  
Housing Markets ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Residential Units

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the housing preference and housing affordability in Malaysian housing markets. There is a lack of research on the gap between supply and demand of houses in this market. Urbanization has increased the demand of houses in urban areas. However, the high demand in residential units increases the housing price which causes the affordability level dropped. Besides, the residences that provided by developers do not meet the expectation of the home buyers. There are three attributes that examined in this research to understand the home buyers’ preference. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides quantitative analysis on the housing affordability and the home buyers’ preference. This paper presents the results on the home buyers’ housing affordability and buying preference on houses. In addition, the study further confirmed the significant relationship between monthly income and type of preferred house, as well as monthly income and range of housing affordability using cross-tabulation analysis. Findings The findings indicated that the housing price in the current market is not affordable by most of the homebuyers and there are certain attributes that important to home buyers which should not be neglected. Research limitations/implications This paper helps to shed light on the planning of Malaysian housing policy especially on the issue of providing affordable housing in urban areas. Practical implications Policymakers shall consider the elements of economics, social acceptance and feasibility of Malaysian housing policies to achieve sustainability in Malaysian housing markets. With the current government’s move to promote housing affordability amongst B40 income groups, local government and housing developers should work together in addressing housing demand in accordance to states and ensure that there is a more targeted housing policy. Social implications With the detailed analysis on the home buyers’ preference, it helps to promote sustainable housing developments in meeting basic housing needs and preference. Originality/value This is the first study to examine relationship between Malaysian housing affordability with monthly income and type of preferred house. In the meantime, the housing affordability is compared with mean housing price and type of perceived affordable house. The paper presented homebuyer’s preference in housing for the consideration of government and housing developers in providing affordable housing.

scholarly journals Macroeconomic and Demographic Determinants of Residential Property Prices in Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan D. Trofimov ◽  
Nazaria Md. Aris ◽  
Dickson C. D. Xuan
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Residential Property ◽  
Property Prices ◽  
Consumer Prices ◽  
Property Price ◽  
Price Growth ◽  
Causality Tests

Abstract This paper studies the relationship between residential property prices and macroeconomic and demographic determinants in Malaysia. In the years following the Asian financial crisis, property prices in Malaysia rose substantially, resulting in an affordability crisis and ultimately policy responses to the problem. Using unit root, Johansen-Juselius cointegration, VECM-based Granger causality tests and variance decomposition, and considering quarterly data that covers 2000-2015 period, we established that residential property price growth is principally driven by strong demographic performance and population growth and is backed by the low interest rate environment and rising consumer prices. Household income and level of GDP do not appear to contribute to property price growth. Certain distortions and asymmetries in the Malaysian real estate markets are documented: oversupply in the higher price segment of the market coupled with the lack of affordable housing in the lower price segment; household income growth lagging behind GDP and property price growth, thereby dampening housing demand; growing rental markets in major urban areas as a result of the affordability crisis; and a quality mismatch between buyers’ preferences and housing supply.

scholarly journals Outreach of Pro-poor Housing Programs and Projects: Is it sustained?

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gowthami Sai Dubagunta ◽  
Sejal Patel
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Housing Supply ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Bottom Of Pyramid ◽  
Occupancy Problems

Affordable housing for urban poor is one among the hot button issues among all policy makers and planners in countries of global south.  Grand schemes with extravagant promises in the formal sector and gigantic hope for informal sector, to capture the opportunity at bottom of pyramid, are simultaneously trying to curb the problem of affordable housing shortage for urban poor. Even though private sector does not purposely seek to cater housing for lower income sections, yet large quantum of investment have been witnessed in housing for the urban poor. It is well known that in a free market tussle, the highest bidder is always the winner.  This has been a major reason for creation of artificial shortage of housing for poor. And the scenario is worse in case of public housing, where, half of the units are either left purposeless or used by ineligible users, largely due to risk of impoverishment and improper post occupancy vigilance. The magnitude of post occupancy problems being unexplored, the objective of paper pertains to looks at the challenges and issues in sustaining targeted outreach to intended beneficiaries in housing supply models for urban poor. The paper elaborates distinct challenges through three housing supply models in Ahmedabad, India. The models are Rehabilitation Housing, Subsidized Housing by government and market provided Housing. The method is mixed method i.e. qualitative and quantitative research using primary and secondary data sources. The critical analysis of effective outreach is carried by studying policy rhetoric in each of the models to on ground veracity in the post occupancy stage of model by assessing end user satisfaction in each model.

scholarly journals COMBATING SQUATTERS IN MALAYSIA: DO WE HAVE ADEQUATE POLICIES AS INSTRUMENT?

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusfida Ayu Abdullah ◽  
Julieven Nonoi Kuek ◽  
Hazlina Hamdan ◽  
Farrah Lyana Mohd Zulkifli
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
National Plan ◽  
Housing Provision ◽  
The Public ◽  
Low Income Groups ◽  
Low Cost Housing ◽  
The Government

The year 2014 had witnessed the scenario where most of the states in Malaysia pledged to declare themselves as Zero Squatter state. Thus far, most of the states in Malaysia are still striving to achieve the goal. The government has therefore aspires to reach the target by the year 2020. The Malaysian government under its 5-years National Plan has since introduced the low, medium and high cost housing categories. The housing policy was therefore designed to provide the public of all income levels, particularly the low-income groups, with affordable housing as part of an effort to eradicate squatters. However, despite the various policies, the number of squatter families remains large, especially in the urban areas. This paper therefore, intends to examine the instruments put forward by the government to eliminate squatters and assess the roles of related parties assigned to achieve the government’s mission. Through a qualitative approach, results demonstrated that Malaysia has various types of polices and guidance at both the federal and state levels in relation to low-cost housing provision. These would have supposed to help reduce the number of squatters in the country. However, to date, Malaysia is still experiencing problems with squatters. This calls for further investigation.

scholarly journals Financial Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation in Kenya: Effects of Mobile Loan Interest Rates on the Financial Performance of SMEs in Urban Informal Settlements

Science Mundi ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104
Author(s):  
Margaret Murage
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Urban Informal Settlements ◽  
The Government

The aim of this study is to assess the effect of interest rates on the financial performance of SMEs in urban informal settlements in Kenya. This study adopts the descriptive survey design. Data were collected from 120 SMEs in the 6 wards of Mathare Sub-County. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires. It was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that low-interest rates could influence the propensity of SMEs to apply for these loans. The ability to pay mobile loans without problems due to low interest rates enhanced the performance of the respondents’ businesses. This goes on to contribute to poverty alleviation in urban informal settlements through enhanced access to capital; one of the goals of the world bank. This has further ripple effects since it can contribute to income diversification for the inhabitants of poor urban areas. The following recommendations were made. The government should also reduce interest rates to lower the cost of mobile phone interests as well as the interest rates of other loan products. Mobile loan lenders should also ensure that their loan products are affordable for the urban poor.

scholarly journals Framework for Long-Term Public Housing Supply Plan Focusing on Small-Scale Offsite Construction in Seoul

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5361
Author(s):  
Hosang Hyun ◽  
Young-Min Lee ◽  
Hyung-Geun Kim ◽  
Jin-Sung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Public Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Modular Construction ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
The Government ◽  
Housing Units

The public housing demand in Seoul has been continuously increasing, but the available land for housing is insufficient. To meet the demand, the Seoul government is planning to develop small-scale housing in urban areas through various methods. Construction activities for increasing housing capacity cause negative environmental impacts, and this inevitably leads to an increase in the number of civil complaints. The complaints can be mitigated by using offsite construction (OSC) for fabricating components. However, OSC remains underdeveloped in Korea owing to concerns over high project costs. To promote OSC, the government must develop a long-term plan to secure demand for OSC. For such a plan, the number and feasibility of applicable sites in Seoul must be estimated. This study suggests a two-stage research framework: (1) estimate the number of applicable sites in Seoul using GIS and (2) conduct feasibility analyses of these sites through architectural planning. The estimated number of sites was equal to the expected supply of small-scale housing units in Seoul for 8 years, and the selected case sites were identified to be feasible. Therefore, the use of OSC for developing small-scale housing units in Seoul is reasonable. This research differs from previous studies in that the previous use of qualitative studies to promote modular construction was replaced with a quantitative analysis that included the entire Seoul area. Using the research framework, the Seoul government can develop a specific long-term plan based on the quantitative research analysis. Furthermore, manufacturers can develop plans based on the government plan and deliver returns on the higher initial costs. The contractors can reduce the higher project cost and doing so is expected to mitigate the negative perception and to promote modular construction in Korea.

Pandemic, lockdown and the stalled urbanization of welfare regimes in Southern Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801812110137
Author(s):  
Lena Gronbach ◽  
Jeremy Seekings
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
The Government ◽  
Social Grant ◽  
National Governments

While Covid-19 caused few fatalities across most of Africa – with the notable exception of South Africa – the indirect economic effects were substantial, especially in urban areas. International organizations encouraged governments to expand their provision, especially for the urban poor. South Africa extended temporarily its already considerable system of social protection and introduced new implementation systems. Elsewhere, governments that had hitherto appeared ambivalent about social protection resisted major reforms, even on a temporary basis. In Zambia, the government committed considerable resources to small farmers but ignored almost entirely cash transfers to the poor. Botswana provided food parcels but did not expand its social grant programmes. The shock of Covid-19 in Southern Africa did not prove to be a ‘critical juncture’: Powerful pro-reform coalitions did not form to shift governments onto new policy paths. National governments were generally reluctant either to introduce programmes that were targeted on the urban poor specifically or to allow countrywide emergency programmes to become permanent. The crisis thus did not lead to any clear ‘urbanisation’ of welfare regimes in the region, despite the disproportionate effect of the crisis on the urban poor.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING ATTRIBUTES TOWARDS NEIGHBOURHOOD SATISFACTION IN THE KLANG VALLEY

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Siti Nurul Munawwarah Roslan ◽  
Wan Nor Azriyati Wan Abd Aziz ◽  
Fatimah Kari ◽  
Nurulhuda Mohd Satar
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Housing Demand ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Neighbourhood Satisfaction ◽  
Klang Valley ◽  
Housing Attributes

Housing has always been one of the major issues that affect peoples’ quality of life, especially in the urban area. The increased number of population in urban area led to an increase in housing demand in the market. Neighbourhood satisfaction is an important factor of housing demand in urban areas. The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between housing attributes and neighbourhood satisfaction in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Primary data collection through survey on 500 respondents was undertaken and analysed using SPSS and Structural Equation Modelling. The findings revealed that there is positive and significant relationship between housing attributes and neighbourhood satisfaction. The implication of this study found that housing attributes are noteworthy determinants in assessing the significance of neighbourhood satisfaction. The result of this study would assist policy making in proposing actual improvement in sustainable development in neighbourhood area and enhance on the improvement on the housing attributes that focus on providing more affordable housing and housing choice in the Klang Valley.

scholarly journals What Determines Employment in the Formal and Informal Sectors of Pakistan? Primary Data Insights from Lahore

2019 ◽  
pp. 109-130
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ayyoub ◽  
Durdana Qaiser Gillani
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
The Government ◽  
Formal And Informal Sectors

In developing countries, despite the fact that a larger part of GDP is generated by the formal sector, most people earn and spend their lives in the informal sector. We identify the determinants of formal and informal sectors’ employment in the urban areas of district Lahore, by conducting a household survey in 2015. The multinomial logit model is used to analyze the data obtained from a sample of 309 workers. Our results indicate that personal, socio-economic and household factors are essential for regulating employment in both sectors. Furthermore, our findings provide evidence that employment in the sectors in question is significantly determined by the level of higher education, age, working experience of individuals, marital status, sound educational background of the parents of workers, the number of dependents and the presence of assets. The study also provides the policy framework to channelize employment opportunities in the urban labor market and advises the government to enhance the growth potential of workers by expediting the provision of higher education and other skill acquisition initiatives.

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