Housing Policy in Developing Countries: Conjectures and Refutations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Kenya Government housing policies and strategies for housing the urban poor in Kenya, and how the citizen have benefited from the scheme/plan. Objective of the article was to examine the effectiveness of Housing policies and their implementation strategies in the provision of low-cost housing to the urban poor in Kisumu City. The research question was, how effective are the various Kenya Government Housing Policies and implementation strategies targeting the provisions of low-cost Housing to the urban poor in Kisumu City? The study adopted quantitative survey research design. Primary data was collected through structured interviews/interview guide, self-administered questionnaires (Delivery and collection questionnaires), observation and check list. Secondary data was collected from Kenya government national housing policies, national development plans, research publications, internet among others. Quantitative data was summarized, categorized, interpreted and analyzed using Tables and percentages. Simple random sampling was used in this study. The researchers’ target population of 218,766 and sample size of 384 was ideal for this method of sampling. Statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data collected from the field. Correlation analysis was done on both dependent and independent variables with supply of electricity as the control group. Findings revealed that housing has never been a core area of government interest, the government does not drive and guide regional and local action on housing, lack of attempt by the government to broaden focus on housing policy and integrate it with wider economic, social and environmental goals, lack of good policy/subsidy mix and balance, lack of effective implementation strategies, poor promotion of Security of Tenure, inadequate supply of affordable land and infrastructure, inadequate housing finance system, poor utilization of local building materials and technologies, lack of support to small scale – construction activities/contractors, inappropriate standards and legislation and inadequate participation of communities in low-cost housing development, poor research and lack of public/private partnership on low-cost housing development. Recommendations for policy action included review of the current national housing policy and implementation strategies and further research on urban planning, land tenure system, infrastructure and services, housing finance mechanism, small scale construction activities, community participation, municipal budgetary base and experimental pilot projects.

This paper examines changing housing provision and policies in Northern Ireland during the period 1998–2007. The theoretical framework derives from the political economy of housing and the focus is on the extent to which devolution has impacted upon housing provision and policy since 1998. The distinctive history of housing provision in Northern Ireland since partition is reviewed. The period since the Good Friday Agreement has been characterized by periodic suspensions of the Northern Ireland Assembly and most housing policy initiatives, as between 1971 and 1998, have come from direct rule ministers following Westminster developments. Some distinctive features of social housing administration have been retained, with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive still playing a major role, despite a high level of sales to tenants. Housing provision in Northern Ireland has come also more to resemble the situation in the Republic of Ireland, where a long economic boom has been associated with rapid growth in house prices despite greatly increased levels of new building. It is concluded that there is no significant evidence that devolution after 1998 has resulted in distinctive housing policy or housing provision developments in Northern Ireland and that, as in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, housing provision has become increasingly market-driven.

The provision of adequate shelter for Aboriginal people has received considerable attention by successive governments in Australia through the delivery of a variety of policies, programs and projects. These targeted policies, programs and projects have ranged from self-help, to direct government intervention, to self-management style approaches. Over the past three decades, the Commonwealth government alone has invested nearly one billion dollars towards provision of housing for Aboriginal communities. Despite this, there remains a chronic housing shortage and significant socio-economic problems in Aboriginal communities.A critical review of various housing policies, programs and projects implemented shows that housing delivery has been undertaken within a perfunctory framework. There has been a failure to effectively assess the housing needs of Aboriginal communities. There has been limited integration of socio-cultural, economic, environmental, demographic, infrastructural and institutional elements in housing provision. The consequence of this is a dysfunctional housing delivery system, which is unsustainable.This study focuses on developing a framework for sustainable housing in Aboriginal communities. It examines past and current housing policies and programs during three time periods namely; pre-European contact; European contact and Post 1967. An analysis of housing philosophies underpinning policies, programs and projects was undertaken during these periods. Housing delivery systems and theories underpinning the concept of sustainable development were also examined. Field investigation was then carried out to assess current housing processes against a proposed framework for sustainable housing delivery in Aboriginal communities.This involved a three-phase The first phase involved an extensive search of published and unpublished literature on sustainable development and housing delivery in Aboriginal communities. This led to the development of a sustainable housing framework called SEEDII (which incorporates Socio-cultural, economic, environmental, demographic, infrastructural and institutional elements). This framework was used in conjunction with a statistical package to assess the sustainability of Aboriginal The second phase involved a systematic identification and classification of institutions and key stakeholders involved in the provision of housing in Aboriginal communities. Included in this was a field study undertaken in Cherbourg through the device of a community survey. The third phase involved analysis and synthesis of the results of the survey using SEEDII, a statistical package and a modified project evaluation review technique designed to assess the sustainability of Aboriginal housing.Analysis of the results revealed that, during the pre-European period, provision of housing was guided primarily by a set of socio-cultural principles and a limited integration of housing within the physical environment based on traditional management practices. Although socio-cultural and environmental elements were considered in the provision of housing, economic considerations were not considered to be a primary element in the housing delivery process.During the European period, housing provision was pursued through a product approach. Consequently, socio-cultural principles of Aboriginal people, which played a vital role during the pre-European period, were neglected. Emphasis was placed on what housing ought to be. Infrastructure and economic principles were not priority issues that guided housing policy, program and project processes. This led to limited consultation of Aboriginal people in the provision of housing, which, in turn, led to widespread abandonment and neglect of their Provision ofhousing during this period thus became unsustainable.During the post 1967 period, attempts were made by successive governments to involve Aboriginal people in policy, program and project processes. The main thrust of housing provision, however, continued to focus on the product instead of the process approach to housing. There have been attempts at the project level to involve residents in the implementation of housing policy and programs. This, however, has been limited by the top-down approach to policy and program formulation.It is recommended that, to ensure that provision of housing becomes sustainable, socio-cultural, economic, environmental, demographic, infrastructural, and institutional processes be integrated to ensure that Aboriginal people can meet their present and future housing needs without compromising their own ability to translate their aspirations into reality.

Sub-divided units (SDU) and the similar type of tiny accommodation namely cage home and cubicle apartment have been existed in Hong Kong for a long period of time. Despite the factthat the living condition of those flats is usually undesirable, there are views in the community that there is demand in the market because these flats can provide affordable urban accommodation to those who are not eligible for Public Rental Housing (PRH) or those who wish to live in the urban area which is closer to their workplaces or their children's place of study at a cheaper rent.
\nThe repeated fire incidents happened in the tenement buildings consisted of SDU causing number of casualties has widely aroused the public concern about the safety of SDU. Although the HK government has been implementing measures since 2011 to tackle the problems of SDU, the number of people living in SDU has still greatly increased from 53,000 in 2007 to 171,300 in 2013, accounting for 2.4% total population of Hong Kong. In fact, the increase of SDU not only reflects that many low-income group cannot afford the high housing rent, but also many households are being forced into inappropriate or sub-standard accommodation. J Pynoons, R Schafer, C Hartman (2012) stated that the quality and location of housing affect the security, happiness, and stability of families, and have serious implications for the economic and social wellbeing of our urban areas. The problems arising from SDUs not only affect the individual of tenants, but also impose hazard to the building management, fire safety, building structure and social order.
\nDue to speculation and limited land supply, the problems of SDUs were still remained unsettled and the housing price has still been escalating to a higher recorded price causing shortage of adequate housing supply and thus the increase of rental price on housing. With rents escalating and Housing Authority waiting lists lengthening, low income households, particular the households who were not eligible to or awaiting for PRH were forced into inappropriate and sub-standard accommodation.
\nAlthough the government has formed a long Term Housing Strategy (LTHS) Steering Committee to look into the housing problems of grassroots families, it would not see the proposed measures shall immediately solve the housing problems, particularly in relation to SDUs within a short period of time. All the proposed measures require number of years to plan, discuss and compromise with different parties.
\nThe goal of this dissertation is to review the phenomenon of SDU and to study the reasons of trend of such phenomenon. Without a thorough understanding on the phenomenon of SDU and the reasons of trend, no proper measures shall be implemented to tackle the problems of SDU.
\nThe phenomenon of SDU shall be deemed to be the result of number of reasons relating to land supply and housing demand. The ever rising housing price, the attitude and direction of property developers, the housing policy towards affordable housing and the high cost of living are the factors affecting the supply and demand of affordable housing whereas decreasing vacancy in the private rental market, lack of funding, lack of private development of affordable housing, increasing rent prices, lack of long-term affordable housing planning and the absence of a comprehensive housing policy cause the supply of affordable housing cannot meet the increasing demand. Besides, the attitude of people who worried that affordable housing will increase traffic, reduce their property values and lack of safety in their communities, no one wants to be near or to have additional affordable housing in their communities. These attitudes further make the government difficult to find suitable locations for affordable housing.
\nBesides, various articles and news revealed that many people living in SDU are single parenthood, mental illness, disable and addiction to drugs and drink. However, there is no survey to reflect or indicate the real situation. Government should look into the real situation and to effect proper measures to tackle the problems of the above people.

The purpose of this paper is to disclose youth assessment of Lithuanian housing policy. The paper discusses housing policy and the youth housing challenges. The empirical part of the paper is based on the Lithuanian youth original empirical research results “Housing Provision for the Youth in Lithuania: Opportunities and Problems” carried out in 2017–2018. This research was carried out in the framework of the project” Housing Provision for the Youth: Processes, Problems and Solutions in Lithuania (JABS)” (GER 007/17) funded by the Lithuanian Science Council National Research Program “Welfare Society”. The results of the survey research revealed that Lithuanian housing policy young people assess rather unfavourably. According to the respondents there is a lack of more active State role and regulation of housing policy, housing policy regulation, more effective action against “shadow” housing rental. Analysis of the research results according to the social demographics characteristics indicated that women are tend to stress more State support for the first housing provision, cash benefits and compensations for housing maintenance. Moreover, 30–35 years old persons indicated more State support for the first housing provision than representatives of the other youth age groups.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.17.3.21959

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected various aspects of life and the majority of industries all over the world. While extant studies have reported the impact of the pandemic in various sectors and industries, the impact of the pandemic on global affordable housing and housing supply has not received sufficient attention. Therefore, this study provides a global comparative evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the twin issues of affordable housing and housing supply. Google Scholar, Science Direct, ResearchGate and Primo Search were used in conducting database searches for previous studies published within the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023). The framework of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was adopted in the systematic selection of 37 extant studies. Bibliometric, content and thematic analyses were conducted for the qualitative data analyses. Findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted various issues, viz: housing prices, demand and supply, socioeconomic gaps, housing construction activities, informal sector housing conditions, government housing policies, mortgage repayment defaults, multidimensional matters, increased digital nomads, and elderly housing supply. This study is unique in providing a systematic appraisal of extant studies to report the global implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on affordable housing and housing supply. Findings of the study are based on a systematic review of the literature. Indeed, the study offers a global perspective on the impact of the pandemic on the blighted affordable housing situation of different countries. Pertinent gaps in the existing literature and areas for further research were identified, alongside the recommendation of policy pathways for the future.

Despite diversity in market and policy frameworks, late twentieth century housing systems across industrialised economies in East Asia became increasingly focused on facilitating home ownership. Governments became characteristically interventionist in the housing sector, which was assumed to play broad economic, political and welfare roles. Despite the influence of the public sector, housing provision was largely commodified rather than de-commodified. Home ownership was perceived to enhance economic development, social solidarity and the asset base of family centred welfare provision. This view was bolstered by house price increases during an era of rapid economic growth. Expanding owner-occupied housing sectors ostensibly offset underdeveloped citizenship rights and public spending, and stimulated increases in middle-class home-owning households, who were provided an economic stake in ‘developmentalist’ government objectives. The Asian Economic Crisis of 1997/98 however, strongly impacted on property markets across the region leading to increasing divergence in approaches to home ownership and welfare provision. This paper examines housing systems and policy regimes in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong to illustrate new strategies that have emerged in the twenty-first century that reflect diversifying orientations towards housing policies and property-based welfare.

In December 2024, the Republic of Korea entered a super-aged society, with individuals aged 65 and over accounting for more than 20 percent of the total population. Demographic change driven by prolonged low fertility and increased life expectancy is requiring structural transformation across multiple policy domains, including housing, health, care, and medical services. Among these, housing has emerged as a critical policy area, as it constitutes the foundation of older persons’ daily lives. As older-person households are increasingly composed of single-person and elderly-couple households, combined risks associated with declining physical function, rising prevalence of chronic disease, and reduced income have intensified problems such as housing-related safety accidents, social isolation, and gaps in care. To substantively realize the right to a decent standard of living guaranteed under Article 34 of the Constitution, it is necessary to ensure an integrated framework that combines age-appropriate and safe housing, access to medical and care services, and strong linkages with local communities. Although several statutes—including the Framework Act on Housing, the Welfare of Older Persons Act, and the Long-Term Care Insurance Act—provide a legal foundation for housing welfare, the existing facility-centered care system remains insufficient due to fragmented governance, regional disparities, and service discontinuities. This has reinforced the need for a policy shift toward an Aging in Place approach that enables older persons to remain in their familiar living environments for as long as possible. Against this backdrop, the Act on Integrated Support for Community-Based Care, including Medical and Long-Term Care Services, represents a significant legislative development. The Act establishes an institutional framework for the integrated provision of medical care, long-term care, and daily living support, explicitly defining Aging in Place as a legal objective and enabling continuous support from prevention through end-of-life care. At the same time, Korea’s housing policy for older persons has struggled to reflect diverse housing needs. In contrast, Germany has accumulated experience since the 1990s with integrated housing-and-care models, which combine barrier-free housing with community- based care services. This comparative experience highlights the need to reconceptualize housing not merely as physical space, but as a living infrastructure in which care is embedded. In responding to a super-aged society, housing policy must move beyond housing supply or facility expansion and instead adopt a life-course perspective that places housing at the center of integrated care. The Act on Integrated Support for Community-Based Care provides a key institutional foundation for this transition, and the proposed Special Act on Senior Care Housing has the potential to further link housing and care policies in a systematic manner. Ultimately, Aging in Place for older persons can be realized only through the effective integration of housing and care.

The purpose of this study is to provide suggestions for setting a specific direction of the housing policy for single-person households in Korea, by understanding the process in which the housing policy for single-person households was introduced and transformed, and the changing patterns of supply types. In addition, it attempts to develop a ground which is helpful for the direction of developing the policy for single-person households and the supply types, by primarily examining the policies and supply characteristics of foreign countries which have underwent a variety of institutional changes. This study investigated the housing policies by periods along with the increase of single-person households, in terms of changes of paradigms, and therefore, reviewed the housing supply types for them. It suggests the following tasks for improving the direction of the policy and the supply types. First, the housing policy for single-person households needs to pay meticulous attention to the quantitatively increased housing supply as well as the qualitative enhancement of housing. Second, it is necessary to introduce differentiated policies for consumers by income brackets and age bands, for the housing security of single person households. Third, the public sector is required to realign the support for the housing of them and introduce a new institution.

Housing policy has declined in importance relative to other areas of state policy-making in many Western countries. This paper seeks to understand why this has happened at a time when there has been a decline in the level of housing affordability and supply of affordable rental housing. It presents an argument that a way of understanding this policy retrenchment, through a comparative analysis of Australian and Canadian housing systems, is to consider the way in which housing policy problems are defined, how policy-making capacity is institutionalised in state agencies and the form and extent of civil society mobilisation on housing issues. It is not sufficient to ascribe the declining salience of housing policy to the ascendancy of neo-liberal ideas in policy-making.

Does Re-Design of the Policies on Housing Finance and Supply Help to Solve Housing Question of Turkey?

Young-adult single-person households have emerged as a socially vulnerable group facing housing instability in Korea. To improve insufficient housing policies for this social group, we must evaluate existing policies and provide feedback in a timely manner. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of housing welfare programs targeting young adults, considering the increase in the supply of public rental housing for them. This study estimated the effect of residing in public rental housing on the intention to achieve homeownership and the mediation effect of residential satisfaction by employing structural equation modeling. The results confirm the following findings. First, when controlling households’ sociodemographic conditions, satisfaction with housing conditions is higher in public rental housing than in private rental housing. Second, high residential satisfaction among young-adult single-person households residing in public rental housing has a significant positive effect on their intention to achieve homeownership through high satisfaction with housing conditions. These findings suggest that public rental housing is an effective housing policy and a stepping stone toward homeownership for young-adult single-person households. This study concludes by emphasizing the necessity for a public rental housing policy considering these policy outcomes.

The aim of this paper is to compare structures of affordable housing provision in new large-scale housing projects in second-tier cities in Central and Eastern Europe. The paper builds on the conceptual framework of structures of housing provision to highlight complexities stemming from spatial conditions, structural processes reflected by housing policies at national and local levels, and relations between different stakeholders. The context for the analysis comprises first, the affordable housing question, which has gained importance in urban areas recently affected by multiple crises. Second, large-scale housing projects are seen as a response to the affordable housing shortage in differing contexts of state-market relations. The paper builds on a comparative case study approach of three new large-scale housing projects in less often studied cities in Central and Eastern Europe (in Lausanne, CH–Plains-du-Loup, in Leipzig, GER–Leipzig 416, and in Wrocław, PL–Nowe Żerniki). It draws on document analysis and expert interviews to provide an in-depth comparative case description based on primary and secondary data. We discuss how new large-scale housing projects, produced to provide affordable housing, are embedded in and filtered through structural contexts and domestic policy motivations but also have socio-spatial implications. In each of these cases, the process of providing affordable housing revolves around different aspects (space, multi-scalar processes, and stakeholders). Our analysis reveals that the affordability of housing depends on the interaction between public, private and civic factors, embedded within a neoliberal framework.

Klantgestuurd voorraadbeleid en empowerment. Over Te Woon en andere initiatieven van woningcorporaties

Since the population in Hong Kong is expected to continue with an ageing trend, the elderly housing becomes an increasing concern of the society. Population aging, the sharp increase of life expectancy and the elderly dependency ratio, inadequate supply of elderly housing and the shortage of proper facilities and services for the elderly residents are the critical issues on the public housing for the elderly in Hong Kong. 
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\nBased on the above situation, it is a critical time to draw the attention to the elderly housing policy on the needs of the elderly to evaluate the effectiveness of the current public housing policy for the elderly and recommends changes to the policy for improving elderly housing provision. The aging theories of the social gerontology are applied in relation to the housing need for the elderly and this research mainly focuses on the current public housing policy and the related housing programs provided by Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) and Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) in terms of the flat design, community planning and facilities and so on. The importance of the formal support and the informal support to the elderly are also discussed in this research. 
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\nAccordingly, the research is divided into several parts Firstly, the goal and objectives are briefly identified and studied. Secondly, the scope of study is listed out in order to provide a general outline for the dissertation. After that, the methodology and organization of study are illustrated. The primary data and the secondary data are collected. In order to have an in-depth understanding on the key issues of the public housing policy for the elderly and the needs of the elderly residents, both the quantitative and the qualitative research methods are used for this research. 
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\nIn this research, the result from the face to face questionnaire surveys with the elderly residents in Sham Shui Po District and the interview with the District Councilor Member of the same district shows that there are rooms for HKHA’s improvement of elderly housing policies. In addition, it indicates that the formal support is able to meet the environmental and psychological need of the elderly. However, the elderly mainly rely on the informal support i.e. the family and friends to meet their psychological need. Therefore, the formal support and informal support should be integrated in the housing policy for the elderly to achieve the concepts of “Ageing in place” and “Healthy Aging”.