| dc.description.abstract | Review of the formation, growth, magnitude and deteriorating housing
conditions of the informal settlement in other parts of the World and in Kenya in
this work shows that in t he years before 1960s the phenomenon of informal
settlement was viewed negatively resulting to hostile responses from various
authorities towards the settlements. These responses included demolition.
relocation and provision of public housing in the name of public health,
eradication of crime and havens for criminals and public necessity.
As the public housing programs were failing to meet housing needs of the poor
due to their inappropriateness in terms of cost and standards and the inability of
the governments to provide housing for everybody, it was discovered that the
housing in the informal settlements were gradually improving overtime.
Beginning in the I960s, the attitude towards informal settlements started
shifting from hostility to admiration of the abilities of the people to improve
their own housing conditions. Many researchers of this time staled that the
poor only required security of tenure, basic infrastructure, no interference from
building and planning regulations, accommodation of their lifestyles and the
mobilization of their full participation.
This latter attitude led to the development of housing improvement programmes
which have been implemented in several third world countries since the 1960s
and which began in Kenya in 1978 under the second urban project. The success
of this program in Kenya has been questionable.
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This research has investigated the factors that affect the ability of the people to
improve their houses and found out that apart from land tenure security,
infrastructure and building and planning regulations, there are other factors
which are equally important in determining the ability of the people to effect
improvement. The a study shows that when poverty prevails, security of tenure and
delivery of infrastructure cannot lead to house improvement and that when no
form of building or planning regulation is applied it may result into lack of
direction or guidance of development in the settlement. Subsequently the
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comparatively wealthy plot owners use land and its improvement as a means of
storing wealth or ripping easy profit through construction of inadequate housing
units. Conventional building materials and technology is unaffordable to many
of the developers yet local building materials and appropriate technology which
could have reduced the construction costs were not applied.
The study further shows that household savings arc not sufficient for house
improvement hence people require external financing which in-turn is not
accessible to them. Customary practices were found to have had limited
influence on house improvement, instead the prevailing socio-economic
situations are influencing the customary practices. Finally the study shows that
for the success of an improvement programme, it is important to have extensive
and comprehensive involvement of the beneficiaries in discovering their needs
and potentials, planning, implementation and subsequent management of the
improvement process. The full and active involvement of the people is on the
other hand dependant upon their occupations, income levels, education, cost
and availability of building materials, sources of finance, availability of t ime for
the households to take part 111 improvement activities and family
responsibilities.
In addition to these, the geological make up of the site also has effect on the
ability of the people to improve.
The study therefore suggests that for the full participation of the beneficiaries
to be solicited, their socio-economic status must be uplifted through education
and adequate training programmes, expanding the economic capability of the
poor plot owners and tenants alike, provision or infrastructure ill consultation
and co-operation with the, beneficiaries, giving the people access to both
conventional and non-conventional financing systems, encouraging the
production and use of appropriate building materials and technology, effective
planning to avoid the event of settlements being located on unsuitable grounds
and devising suitable development guidelines to preve1iL.the commercialization
of low income settlements through the provision of inadequate housing
structures. | en_US |
