Urban Housing Affordability Problem in Africa: A Search for Pragmatic Solution?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwame Addae-Dapaah
Keyword(s):  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability

scholarly journals Live Large in Small Spaces

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Danae Bloxham
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
House Prices ◽  
House Price ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Great Opportunity

<p>The ‘kiwi dream’ of home ownership has become less attainable because of increases in housing costs. Unaffordability is linked with the house price to income ratio, especially within urban environments where incomes have fallen to 50% below property prices. This not only affects access to affordable housing, but also access to quality housing. A home should be dry, warm and safe – these are the key fundamentals of quality housing and people of all ages should have access to a home in which these qualities are not compromised by their personal income. A home that is well insulated, heated, structurally sound and located close to transport nodes should be affordable for all New Zealanders.   Home ownership in New Zealand plays a central role in our national identity. The design research will cater for the younger generation that are most affected by the housing crisis – first home buyers ranging between the ages of 25 and 30,wanting to get their foot on the property ladder and realise the ‘kiwi dream’ of home ownership.   A key issue of New Zealand’s high house prices is the influence of land costs. An intensification strategy to reduce the amount of land per dwelling is one solution to combat house prices. Intensification of New Zealand’s cities should also be targeted at an increase in urban housing along railway corridors, transport hubs and in town centres, improving both housing affordability and transport costs – two main factors of household expenditure. When these two strategies are combined with careful design and space efficient techniques, solutions can be created within a small footprint, without compromising comfort and functionality.   This thesis proposition is tested in Khandallah, one of Wellington’s wealthiest suburbs, with high access to public amenities, transport and services. The suburb already has the infrastructure needed to accommodate intensification. It’s comparatively low density housing holds great opportunity for medium density and infill development. The suburb has a large range of community facilities, schools and open spaces and dwellings are typically of low density with large sites – developed through meandering roads and col-de-sacs of single houses on single sections. With Wellingtons housing needs changing, a greater need for diverse housing throughout all of Wellington’s suburbs is necessary to cater for the growing population. Khandallah has the infrastructure to support intensification and young families should have the option of buying into a suburb of their choice.   The aim of this research is to develop a model for affordable, high quality suburban housing that is responsive to New Zealand’s housing preferences, providing a solution for greater access to desirable housing that occurs through interrelated well designed small homes. This thesis argues that doubling suburban density while retaining site coverage will make housing more affordable. This is tested through planning and spatial design strategies of a range of small homes less than 80m2. These homes will be developed through examining the design of internal spaces; the limits of the small home and relationship with external spaces and the limits of the suburb. The relationship between homes will allow a development of private and common utilities, optimising open space and shared amenities within an intensification strategy for the suburb. The design research produces an argument for clusters of small homes as future housing that will have a positive impact on New Zealand’s housing affordability as ‘starter homes’ and ‘downsize homes’.</p>

scholarly journals Uncovering Social Sustainability in Housing Systems through the Lens of Institutional Capital: A Study of Two Housing Alliances in Vienna, Austria

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9726
Author(s):  
Angeliki Paidakaki ◽  
Richard Lang
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Internal Governance ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Institutional Capital ◽  
Institutional Actors

This paper analyzes social sustainability in the context of urban housing through the lens of institutional capital. It examines how civil society housing actors co-construct bottom-linked governance arrangements by interacting endogenously with peers and exogenously with institutional actors, such as public housing agencies and elected officials, in order to steer, as housing alliances, socially sustainable residential developments. The paper thus offers an answer to the following two research questions: (1) What are internal governance features that characterize such civil society housing alliances? (2) What are their strategies of interaction with institutional actors in order to promote social sustainability and thus counter exclusionary patterns in urban housing systems? Empirical evidences are drawn from two civil society housing alliances in Austria, ‘BAWO’ (a national alliance of homelessness NGOs) and the ‘Initiative Collaborative Building & Living’. During three research stays in Vienna between 2014 and 2020, data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with leaders and members of housing alliances, interviews with key institutional stakeholders and web research. By reflecting on the institutional and relational character of the two housing alliances and digging out their potential and limitations in promoting different elements of social sustainability, our paper concludes that social sustainability in housing systems can be realized when it is set as a societal ambition sufficiently politicized by major parties involved in housing systems (housing alliances, governmental authorities of all ideological backgrounds, large non-profit housing developers) that collectively guarantee housing affordability and socio-spatial equity for all.

scholarly journals PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AS A DETERMINANT FACTORS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ABUJA NIGERIA

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-4/W16 ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Y. Ahmed ◽  
I. Sipan
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Housing Provision ◽  
Private Partnership

Abstract. The implementation of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in housing provision in Nigeria meant to increase urban housing provision and address housing affordability and accessibility problems. Consequently, the study aims to identify the critical success factors of Public-private partnerships for affordable housing provision in Nigeria. However, the data were obtained using interviews with PPP experts to build the questionnaire for affordable housing in Nigeria. Overall, 254 responses were obtained and analysed using smart PLS to identify PPP success factors for affordable housing in Abuja. The result shows that good governance, availability of financial markets, Sound economic policies, consistency monetary, a commitment of public and private sectors are the key parameters of PPP for affordable housing in Nigeria. Therefore, the main contributions of the article indicate that strong government intervention, dependent of foreign building materials, easier access to mortgage institutions, and provision of land at no cost are the challenges to address in order to succeed in providing affordable housing in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that a good design a framework should put in place in order to achieve the desired aim of providing affordable housing in Nigeria.

Determinants of homeownership affordability in Nigeria’s urban housing markets

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuma Christopher Nwuba ◽  
Iche U. Kalu ◽  
John A. Umeh
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Rental Housing ◽  
Housing Markets ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Cost

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate homeownership affordability in Nigeria’s urban housing market to establish the determinants of households’ affordability outcomes, and the nature of their impact. Design/methodology/approach – The cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of households selected through a stratified random technique across Kaduna State, the study area. The binary logistic regression was used to model the probability of homeownership affordability as a function of specified explanatory variables. Findings – Household income, savings, construction period and education are determinants of homeownership affordability with positive impact. Conversely, household size, cost of land, building cost inflation, current rental housing expenditures, non-housing expenditures and building cost relative to income are determinants of affordability with negative impact. Practical implications – The findings have the potential to provide a framework for formulation of policy measures to improve access to homeownership. Social implications – Delayed access to homeownership places pressure on the rented sector with the potential for rental housing affordability problems. It is a deferment of the actualisation of a strong aspiration which is detrimental to individual and family well-being and stability. Originality/value – The study extends the housing affordability debate to housing markets operating on informal financing where households build rather than buy their homes, an area hitherto not deeply explored. It provides empirical basis for problem-solving on housing affordability and can be a framework for housing policy reforms in Nigeria.

scholarly journals I want to share: Balancing collective and individual needs in New Zealand urban housing architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Genevieve Walshe
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
The Common ◽  
Individual Needs ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Over Time ◽  
New Zealanders

<p>In 2016 I visited Sargfabrik cohousing in Vienna and was intrigued and captivated by the rich, diverse and friendly atmosphere within the semi-public spatial and architectural realm, which I thought would never happen in New Zealand. Sargfabrik led me to realise that the common realm of New Zealand urban housing architecture is impoverished. It can, and should, be better.  In the 1950s and 1960s, the Kiwi dream was focused on the acquisition of a standalone dwelling; New Zealand prided itself on being an egalitarian, property owning-democracy, supported by innovative housing policies. Today the ‘Kiwi dream is changing as home ownership is no longer a rite of passage for all New Zealanders. Despite rising income inequality and decreasing housing affordability, the contemporary Kiwi dream remains focused on ownership, due to the stability and security associated with this tenure type. If New Zealand is to address the housing equality issue it should investigate the potential of international models of tenure and ownership, such as co-operatives or the Baugruppe (building group) and Baugemeinschaft (building community) models, to allow increased accessibility to stable home occupation and ownership for all New Zealanders through diversity and flexibility of tenure type over time.  Today the contemporary Kiwi dream acknowledges the advantages and benefits of higher density housing models, such as increased security, lack of maintenance, centralised management, ability to ‘lock and leave’ allowing travel, and proximity to town centres. A New Zealand collective urban housing model can represent the contemporary Kiwi dream through a balance between collective and individual needs. Solutions to the New Zealand housing crisis must follow a movement towards flexibility, to accommodate demographic change over time and the DIY spirit of New Zealanders, add community connectedness, challenge loneliness and embrace the sharing economy.  This design-led research proposes that the common spatial and architectural realm can facilitate potential formation of community in New Zealand urban housing architecture. It argues that the Sargfabrik cohousing model can be translated and adapted for a New Zealand urban context. The differences in housing context between Vienna and New Zealand, and the architectural implications of these differences for New Zealand urban housing architecture, are extracted from the research. It argues that a new collective urban housing model can achieve the design diversity and flexibility of New Zealand’s preferred suburban housing and the rich atmosphere of Sargfabrik’s common realm. This occurs through questioning and defining the contemporary Kiwi dream. The ways international flexible tenure and ownership models could work in a New Zealand context are also considered.</p>

scholarly journals ДОСТИЖЕНИЕ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ ГОРОДА ЧЕРЕЗ РАЗВИТИЕ ЖИЛИЩНО-КОММУНАЛЬНЫХ ХОЗЯЙСТВ

2020 ◽  
pp. 80-88
Author(s):  
U. Shalbolova ◽  
S. Yegemberdiyeva ◽  
Z. Kenzhegalieva ◽  
У.Ж. Шалболова ◽  
С.М. Егембердиева ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
City Development ◽  
Sustainable City ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Scientific Project

The article presents the results of the author's analysis of certain aspects of socio-economic problems of Kazakhstani urban housing and communal services. The problems of urban development are investigated with the disclosure of social and housing problems of the urban population. The article substantiates the Geneva Charter provisions on sustainable housing through providing citizens with high-quality and affordable housing. The author's interpretation of the category "sustainable city" is given highlighting indicators of city development sustainability. A review of existing programs effectiveness on housing affordability is conducted, the dynamics of housing construction and commissioning in the country is presented. The degree of provision with comfort indicators for both multi-apartment and individual residential buildings is given. The final results of an analytical study of the costs structure for housing and communal services are given. Analysis of urban housing and utilities infrastructure identified the studied sphere of Kazakhstani economy. The directions of sustainable development of Kazakhstani cities are substantiated by analysis of innovative solutions in modernizing housing through digital technology, construction of “smart houses”, energy efficiency utilities, solving issues of solid waste management, modernization of administration as housing and urban development. The article was prepared as part of the scientific project AP05134552. В статье представлены результаты проведенного авторами анализа отдельных аспектов социально-экономических проблем городского жилищно-коммунального хозяйства Республики Казахстан. Исследованы проблемы развития городов в современном мировом сообществе с упором раскрытия социально-жилищных проблем городского населения. Обоснованы основные положения Женевской хартии об устойчивом жилищном хозяйстве через обеспечение горожан качественным и доступным по цене жилью. Дана авторская интерпретация категории “устойчивый город” с выделением основных индикаторов устойчивости развития города. Проведен обзор результативности действующих программ по обеспечению доступного жилья, исследованы основные инструменты расширения социального жилья, представлена динамика строительства и ввода жилья в стране. Также в настоящей статье изложены основные результаты, полученные в ходе реализации научного проекта. Так, даны результаты социологического обследования, где выявлена степень обеспеченности показателями комфортности как многоквартирных, так и индивидуальных жилых домов. Даны итоговые результаты аналитического исследования структуры затрат на жилищно-коммунальные услуги. Проведенный анализ состояния инфраструктуры городского ЖКХ позволил определить основные проблемы исследуемой сферы экономики в Казахстане. В настоящей работе обоснованы основные направления устойчивого развития казахстанских городов путем анализа применения инновационных решений при модернизации ЖКХ через цифровые технологии, строительства “умных домов”, использования энергоэффективного коммунального обслуживания, решения вопросов по утилизации твердых бытовых отходов, модернизации управления как ЖКХ, так и городским хозяйством. Статья подготовлена в рамках реализации научного проекта АР05134552.

scholarly journals I want to share: Balancing collective and individual needs in New Zealand urban housing architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Genevieve Walshe
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
The Common ◽  
Individual Needs ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Over Time ◽  
New Zealanders

<p>In 2016 I visited Sargfabrik cohousing in Vienna and was intrigued and captivated by the rich, diverse and friendly atmosphere within the semi-public spatial and architectural realm, which I thought would never happen in New Zealand. Sargfabrik led me to realise that the common realm of New Zealand urban housing architecture is impoverished. It can, and should, be better.  In the 1950s and 1960s, the Kiwi dream was focused on the acquisition of a standalone dwelling; New Zealand prided itself on being an egalitarian, property owning-democracy, supported by innovative housing policies. Today the ‘Kiwi dream is changing as home ownership is no longer a rite of passage for all New Zealanders. Despite rising income inequality and decreasing housing affordability, the contemporary Kiwi dream remains focused on ownership, due to the stability and security associated with this tenure type. If New Zealand is to address the housing equality issue it should investigate the potential of international models of tenure and ownership, such as co-operatives or the Baugruppe (building group) and Baugemeinschaft (building community) models, to allow increased accessibility to stable home occupation and ownership for all New Zealanders through diversity and flexibility of tenure type over time.  Today the contemporary Kiwi dream acknowledges the advantages and benefits of higher density housing models, such as increased security, lack of maintenance, centralised management, ability to ‘lock and leave’ allowing travel, and proximity to town centres. A New Zealand collective urban housing model can represent the contemporary Kiwi dream through a balance between collective and individual needs. Solutions to the New Zealand housing crisis must follow a movement towards flexibility, to accommodate demographic change over time and the DIY spirit of New Zealanders, add community connectedness, challenge loneliness and embrace the sharing economy.  This design-led research proposes that the common spatial and architectural realm can facilitate potential formation of community in New Zealand urban housing architecture. It argues that the Sargfabrik cohousing model can be translated and adapted for a New Zealand urban context. The differences in housing context between Vienna and New Zealand, and the architectural implications of these differences for New Zealand urban housing architecture, are extracted from the research. It argues that a new collective urban housing model can achieve the design diversity and flexibility of New Zealand’s preferred suburban housing and the rich atmosphere of Sargfabrik’s common realm. This occurs through questioning and defining the contemporary Kiwi dream. The ways international flexible tenure and ownership models could work in a New Zealand context are also considered.</p>

scholarly journals Affordable Housing Policies in India: Challenges and Reform

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 2706-2712
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Housing Sector ◽  
Housing Shortage ◽  
Indian Government ◽  
Great Opportunity

The housing sector is one of the most globally recognized sectors, which estimate the need for affordable housing of 96,150 units/day in urban areas at a global level. Although the task represents an enormous challenge, but it also constitutes a great opportunity for developing countries' economy. After agriculture, the housing sector is the second leading employer in India over a growth of 30 percent in the last decade. The aim of this paper is to study and provide a solution to the existing urban housing problem in India. It attempts to distinguish the problem of the massive urban housing shortage that exists mainly in the Low Income Groups and Economically Backward Sections and provide low-cost housing choices that can be made available with proper policies by Indian Government. The total housing shortage estimated after 2011 census was 18.78 million. The urban population of India has risen from 285 million to 377 million from 2001 to 2011with growth of 32 percent and by 2050; 900 million people will be surviving in urban areas. The rapid growth of urban migration is putting an enormous strain on urban planners to develop an infrastructure in Indian cities. Absence of urban planning can exacerbate existing scenario of housing shortage. Thus, the need arises for a broader and a more encompassing set of policies by which housing affordability can be measured. In this paper, different government schemes are discussed with existing and new reforms of tax policies like REITs, GST, RERA and Benami Transaction Act. A sustainable and accessible model for the affordable housing can be achieved in developing nations through proper implementation of government schemes.

The global urban housing affordability crisis

Urban Studies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (14) ◽  
pp. 3159-3177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Wetzstein
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Housing Provision ◽  
Critical Commentary ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Regulation Policy ◽  
State And Market ◽  
Wage Increases

This critical commentary confronts and explores the – so far under-recognised and under-researched – emergent global crisis of urban housing affordability and affordable housing provision. This crisis results from the fact that housing-related household expenses are rising faster than salary and wage increases in many urban centres around the world; a situation triggered by at least three global post-Global Financial Crisis megatrends of accelerated (re)urbanisation of capital and people, the provision of cheap credit and the rise of intra-society inequality. Reflecting on the recent findings of extensive comparative ethnographic research across Western countries, and analytically approaching housing affordability and affordable housing issues from a broadly understood intersection of political and economic spheres (e.g. issues of state and market, governance and regulation, policy and investment), the paper pursues four key objectives: raising awareness of the crisis, showing its extent and context-specificity but also the severe social as well as problematic spatial implications, linking current developments to key academic debates in housing studies and urban studies, and importantly, developing a research agenda that can help to redress the currently detectable ‘policy–outcome’ gap in policy making by asking fresh and urgent questions from empirical, theoretical and political viewpoints. This intervention ultimately calls for more dedicated and politicised knowledge production towards achieving affordable urban futures for all.

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