| dc.description.abstract | The main purpose of this study was to investigate the
implications which the process of in-migration had on the
provision of planned low-cost housing in HamaBay town.
In order to realize this objective, it was necessary,
first: to examine the main spatial characteristics of the
townI s in-migration field. The finding madewas that the more
densely settled shore areas sent more low-income people to the
town than the areas farther away from the lake. The shore areas
were also the less endowedwith resources of economic significance.
Thus, as it was also revealed in the analysis of data,
most of the migrations to the town were triggered by forces
of an economicnature.
The second step in the study was aimed at examjning the
process of in-migration to the town. This was an attempt to
find out the volume, rate, pattern and timing of in-migration.
What was revealed regarding the volume of in-migrants was the
negative effect of distance on the propensity to migrate to the
town amongthe low-inc omegroups. But with regard to the
ti.ming, it was fOl.mdout that in-migration potential of the
town increased as its status also changed over time.
Then an attempt was made to investigate the various
characteristics of low-income groups in the town with specific
focus on their housing situation, and it was discovered that:
a). the majority of low-income in-migrants occupy
the unptanned peri-urban estates with rural
similarities and where the rents are low;
b). nearly all low-income in-migrants do not own
any land in the town lmless it was through
some historical accident. Because land ownership
in towns is related to building ownership,
it was fotmd out that the majority of lowincome
in-migrants were tenants;
c). the occupancy rates of low-income housing were
much higher than those of the high and middle
income groups and this, to some extent, explained
why environmental conditions in low-income
residential areas were so poor;
d). the occupational pattern among the low-income
group was a reflection of the lack of educated
people in that group. This also, to some extent,
explained why they earned low or no salaries at all;
and
e). most low-income earners were adherents of the
cultural values and social organizations of the
traditional setting.
In the light of the above low-income characteristics, an
attempt was made to plan low-cost housing schemes both in the
short-term as well as in the long-term periods.
Then the following major recommendations were made:-
1). that the volume of in-migrants be reduced through
promotion of productivity of land in rural South
Nyanza;
2). that selective migration system be encouraged;
3). that urban-rural migration be encouraged through
the strategy of returning retired workers to
their landJ
4). that the rate of Homa.Bayls population growth be
retained to conform with the growth centre
strategy;
5). that a thorough sociological survey of the lowincome
people being planned be made before construction
work is done;
6). that loans of various kinds for housing construction
and/or purchase be advanced to the low-income
groups; and
7). that the construction of the proposed low-cost
housing un1 ts be done in phases in view of the
financial position of the Government and the
Urban Council of Homa Bay. | en_US |
