Design Considerations and Sustainable Low Cost Housing Provision for the Urban Poor in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

摘要

Design considerations remain significant in low cost housing projects in both developed and developing countries; which are currently faced by challenges of shelter provision for everyone including the urban poor; due to unprecedented increase in rates of urban migration and urbanization. Ethiopia, particularly Addis Ababa city has not been spared. The city administration launched grand low cost housing projects through the Integrated Housing Development Programme (IHDP) in 2006. This study sought to unveil the significance of design considerations in low cost housing provision thorough the IHDP and the extent to which the Addis Ababa Administration had considered this relevant. The research made use of detailed case analysis of condominium housing on 103 sites of Addis Ababa City using primary and secondary data sources such as questionnaires, interviews, the Delphi technique and document analysis. Qualitative and quantitative data were produced. This research revealed that although the city administration has made great strides in low cost housing provision, there were omissions in the implementation of housing designs considerations with regards technical issues, people's culture, the needs and interests of the urban poor. As such the research recommends that the city administration should strengthen participation of beneficiaries in projects that affect them directly; and that building codes and policies in housing be enforced and monitored for sustainable housing provisioning; and prosperity of the poor living in cities.