Housing Decay and Maintenance : The Case of Public Housing in Tanzania (original) (raw)
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URBAN HOUSING FOR THE POOR IN TANZANIA: POLICY, LAW AND THE REALITY
Conference presentation at the University of Antwerp, 2017
There have been many attempts aimed at ensuring that the urban poor have access to quality housing, in terms of access to basic services, infrastructure, materials used and secure land tenure. Such attempts are manifested in different programmes and initiatives which have been pursued by the Government of Tanzania over the years; these include, for example, the Urban Housing Programme, the Sites and Services and Squatter Upgrading Programme, projects by the National Housing Corporation and Schemes of Regularization. It is to be noted that all developments in urban areas in Tanzania must be in accordance with relevant planning laws. As such, housing for the poor in urban areas should be looked at in the context of urban land use planning law and policy. Thus, while the Government is taking some initiatives to address the question of housing, the poor are also required to observe the relevant regulatory regime when setting up their residential houses. By using Dar es Salaam as a case study, the article gives a critical analysis of selected urban planning policy and legislation as well as Government practices and initiatives. The article has established that while at policy level the state seems to commit itself to ensuring that the urban poor have access to decent housing, there are scanty supportive legislative provisions. Furthermore, the selected initiatives and practices do not, actually, work in favour of the urban poor. The article recommends that the Government should formulated and implement a clear policy on housing for the urban poor as well as amending relevant planning legislation. 2
IJSSRR, 2024
This paper presents study findings concerning rental housing delivery systems in accommodating low-income urban residents in Tanzania. Generally, the study intended to establish the operational and workable policy options for promoting affordable rental houses for the sake of narrowing the urban housing shortage gap that has been increasing over time. The study involved 100 property developers, eighteen (18) key informants, six (6) brokers and fifteen (15) tenants who were purposely selected in the study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through interviews with property developers, focus group discussions with key informant and local leaders. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 was employed in inferential and descriptive analysis. In line with this, a Chi square technique was employed for describing the association between the variables whilst descriptive analysis was employed to describe the distribution of scores among the variables. The study has shown that 68% of property developers obtain land through informal land market while the rest 32% obtain it from a formal market. Moreover, property developers have reported that savings is the dominant source of rental housing finance mechanism in the study area which counts for 65% of the housing finance mechanisms. Other sources are remittances (16%), pensions (8%), loans (7%) and borrowing from relatives (4%). The study has revealed that the Pearson chi-square value and significance value, confirm that, there is a significant association between affordability and category of land market (x^2-Value= 65.696, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the study has evidenced that individual property developers are dominating rental housing market in the absence of policies, regulations, standards and plans which could take into consideration the access to rental housing for the low-income urban residents. The study recommends to the central and local government that there should be an urgent strategy to establish an enabling housing policy in order to promote affordable rental housing as an option for low-income urban residents in Tanzania.
Occupiers’ Maintenance Initiatives in Government Owned Housing Units in Dar es Salaam Tanzania
International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2017
Throughout Tanzania, public housing units are in poor state of repair and maintenance in both rental and institutionalised estates. Among the highly dilapidated houses are those built within University campuses. This study present results from a survey conducted using 72 questionnaires, of which 22 were administered to occupiers of government houses at the Ardhi University (ARU) and 50 at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Secondary data were also requested from the Estate Managers of the two universities. Based on the results of binary logistic regression models which were used to predict the probability of house building condition improvement in response to occupiers maintenance initiatives, it was observed that occupiers’ maintenance initiative significantly improves building condition but such improvement is biased towards structural defects rather than facilities. An occupier undertaking maintenance initiatives has 89 percent chance of improving the overall building condition above average than if she/he did not. Occupiers’ initiatives are however biased in favour of accommodative rather than adaptive maintenance and there is limited creativity in occupier’s maintenance strategies. Given the meagre budgetary allocation for maintenance of housing units in the two universities, this study recommends for mainstreaming of occupiers initiatives so that they can be compensated when public funding is available. A monetary compensation could be the most effective means of encouraging owners’ initiatives towards maintenance of public housing. However, other forms of compensation may be sought as well.
International Journal of Urban Sciences, 2020
Since the 1990s, the Tanzanian public housing authority, the National Housing Corporation (NHC), has been changing its goal, from prioritizing delivery of affordable housing, to becoming a leading commercial and residential real estate developer. This happens against a backdrop of market-based reform and the state’s growing reliance on private markets to support urban development. In this paper, we look at the impact of NHC’s new approach and its effect on housing production and every day practice in Dar es Salaam. The analysis is based on a case study of two new NHC middle to high-income development projects and housing practice in the neighbourhoods surrounding these projects. Analysis is informed by semi-structured interviews, and project and site investigation. Findings indicate that currently, NHC operates like a private corporation, prioritizing market-rate developments over low-income housing projects, and promoting segregated developments based on land value criteria, while also lacking protocols regarding its trickling down approach. High input costs and declining state subsidies are some of the factors mentioned as a challenge towards meeting the housing needs of moderate to low-income households. The paper contributes to the international debate concerning the state’s adoption of business-like approaches to housing production and the affordability crisis.
Dwindling of the Tanzanian Housing Sector: Role of the Swahili Language
2022
This qualitative study is questioning attitudes and/or mindsets originating from Swahili language that have shaped the general understanding on the meaning of housing in the country. In order to achieve this, a literature review was conducted to identify scholarly gaps in the existing local body of knowledge from the housing sector. Furthermore, interviews with land and housing sector experts as well as regular citizens were conducted to check whether one’s profession or level of education had an influence on their general understanding of the meaning of housing. Findings indicate that housing appears to be misunderstood almost exactly the same amongst different groups of individuals, regardless of their education levels or profession. This confusion in the country is deeply rooted in the Swahili language where the terms ‘housing’ and ‘settlement’ are interchangeably used. The article calls for collective action from housing sector experts in raising awareness on the meaning of housing among Tanzanians.
Public–private partnerships in Tanzanian affordable housing schemes
Built environment project and asset management, 2018
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The study investigates the practices of private rental housing and its policy implication for public servants in Ethiopia: the case of Addis Ababa City Administration. Specifically, the study takes a firm look the relationship between the homeowner and renter; the actual practice of private rental housing in the city, and the government policy options available to improve the private rental segment of the housing market to the public service employees in Addis Ababa City. In this effect, the research employed cross-sectional survey design with the use of concurrent triangulation mixed research method, which combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaire from 422 respondents. In addition, qualitative data were gathered through indepth interview, key informant interview and focus group discussion. The qualitative data was categorized manually according to the most salient themes, and then analyzed and interpreted thematically. The result shows that majority of the respondents do not have written contractual agreement with the homeowners. However, there is oral agreement between the homeowner and renter. Public servants faced discrimination based on their level of income, having children; due to household size; due to gender; religion and discrimination based on their ethnicity. There are no specific laws that specify or determine the scale of house rent. This is because the government is not determined to take decisive measures that are capable of resolving the existing problems. Homeowners and brokers increase rent anytime and every time they want because there are no rules and regulations that deal with the issue of homeowner and renter. Therefore, it is recommended that the government should focus on developing rental houses in the years to come since this sector has not been adequately exploited.
Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 2020
Private rental markets accommodate a significant share of Africa's rapidly growing urban populations. The vast majority of tenants are accommodated in rental housing supplied by private landlords. Few studies offer insights on the dynamics and logics shaping the supply and production of private rental housing in the context of African cities. This paper contributes to fill this remarkable knowledge gap with a study of the supply and production of private rental housing by self-builder households in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, two of the largest and fastest growing cities in Tanzania. This paper examines the motivations and aspirations of self-builder landlords, the type and quality of rental housing they supply and the logics shaping their investments in housing quality and tenants' access to services. The paper argues that housing policies should acknowledge the significance of private rental housing in accommodating growing urban populations and the contribution of small landlords, such as the self-builders in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, in the supply and production of private rental housing. Furthermore, any policies seeking to increase the availability and quality of affordable rental housing should be informed by in-depth understanding of the perspectives of such landlords. While concerns regarding lack of protection of tenants' rights and substandard accommodation are often justified, great care is needed, as policies promoting tenants' rights or enforcing minimum standards could undermine the supply of new rental housing or make rents wholly unaffordable for the poorest tenants.
2015
Cities in the developing world are undergoing rapid urbanisation, Africa has not been spared from this urban growth. Urbanisation its self is not a problem but the resultant effect of poor infrastructure and services is what makes the whole process negative. Zambia has had a rapid population growth rate that has resulted in the doubling of the population in less than 20 years. This growth rate coupled with rural urban migration has come with it, problems of poor shelter and the absence of infrastructure services, especially in the informal settlements. This paper aims to highlight these problems in Zambia‟s capital city Lusaka. It focuses on the main actors in the delivery of shelter and narrows down to one actor, National Housing Authority of Zambia (NHA). It gives an analysis of what NHA is going, what it ought to be doing, its strengths and short falls. It further gives recommendations on how it can improve its performance in order to become relevant to the shelter needs of the u...
A Home in the City: Women's Struggle to Secure Adequate Housing in Urban Tanzania
Fordham International Law Journal, 2011
This Report presents the findings of this research effort. Part I sets out the history of Tanzania's informal settlements, including an overview of the evolution that led to the current housing crisis. Part I then reviews Tanzania's obligations under international and domestic law regarding the right to adequate housing and intersecting issues.Part II documents women's struggle to obtain adequate housing in urban Tanzania. This Part first identifies the multiple barriers women face in securing and retaining housing in Tanzanian cities, including discriminatory laws and practices, deeply entrenched patriarchal attitudes, and HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. Part II then explores how the experience of living without adequate housing disparately impacts women's lives. Specifically, because women spend a disproportionate amount of time in informal settlements, they experience more acutely the lack of basic services that is characteristic of these poor urban areas. Moreover, female residents of informal settlements face increased exposure to gender-based violence and health risks, among other hazards.Finally, Part III examines the way forward. It begins by providing a brief overview of several Tanzanian initiatives aimed at improving informal settlements. It then offers recommendations aimed at the full realization of women's right to adequate housing.