Changes in the Provision of Housing Services after Independence

Changes in the Provision of Housing Services after Independence

Since 1960s most African countries were experiencing population increase especially in urban areas, as a result most countries found it very hard to cope with the demands created by the new development. For example it became difficult to meet the basic services like provision of water, housing and health services.

The Objectives of the Provision of Housing Services after Independence

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Objectives of provision of housing services in Africa after independence

·         Promotion of sanitation so as to avoid unnecessary suffering and to increase their lifeexpectance.

·         Promotion of standards of living through establishment of modern housing for Africans.

·         To enhance development in the country through promotion of better planning in urban centers.

·         Eradication of racial discrimination in residential neighborhoods.

·         Provision of enough accommodation spaces for the citizens and do away with slums especially inurban centers.

The Pattern of Housing Distribution after Independence

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The patterns of housing distributions after independence

·         The best and quality houses in the continent have been in the main urban centers such asNairobi, Mombasa, Harare and Dar es Salaam.

·         Soon after independence the best houses in urban centers was owned by or inhabited by theEuropean and Asian communities, while most African communities occupy the poorlyconstructed houses.

·         Expansion of slum areas in African countries, for example Kibera in Nairobi and Soweto inSouth Africa slum areas has been common.

·         Mark of the main urban centers in the cities was skyscrapers and tall building.

·         Rapid growth of African population in main urban centers and in smaller towns especiallyamong the low income groups all over the continent soon after independence. For example inDar es salaam population growth rate rose by 14% between 1957 and 1967.

·         Urban areas was characterizing by haphazard planning while in rural areas characterized byhouses constructed using local materials.

The Steps taken to Change the Colonial Pattern of Distribution of Housing after Independence

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Steps taken to change the colonial patterns of housing distribution in Tanzania after independence

After independence the government of Tanzania did not have a systematic policy on how to deal with the challenges of urban growth however the following measures were taken to improve housing distribution in Tanzania after independence.

·         Control of building and land strategy so as to alleviate pressure on urban housing andcommunity services, through creation of new residential areas and prohibiting residential insome areas which are densely populated.

·         Establishment of National Housing Corporation (NHC) for the aim of providing housing needsthrough financing. Furthermore NHC took over the management of the low cost houses whichhad been put up by the local government in Dar es Salaam and put up new houses afterclearing part of the squatter settlement in the capital city.

·         Control of land allocation in the country by the government, especially those freehold landsreverted to government ownership and previous owner were expected to pay rent to thegovernment. Conditions on development of land in urban areas were laid down to all. Howeverpriority on plot allocation, site and services schemes was given to low income areas in theurban centers.

·         Decentralization of the number of functions with the aim of locating new industries away fromcapital cities like Dar es Salaam. Also minimization of resource allocation to urban developmentfor the sake of spreading benefits to all classes.

·         To stimulate development by relocating the capital city from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma300miles (480 km) west. This was a plan announced by the government in 1973.

·         To emphasize on the need of making use of low cost materials for construction purposes toprovide housing for more people rather than following international standards blindly.

Challenges facing the provision of housing services after independence

·         Inadequate of qualified human resources, for example lack of skilled personnel like townplanners to help in planning and implementing the desired programs in most African countries.Following this there were slow pace in the implementation of housing projects as a result 70% oflow income housing in Dar es Salaam was part of the slum clearing projects.

·         Ignoring the low income earners by giving the priority to the middle income earners while lowincome earners getting disadvantaged at the project implementation stage.

·         Inadequate financial resources, the government expected and depended much overseas fundingfor the project of the housing programs. Following this most of the medium sized constructionfirms died as they depended on investments in higher income residential properties.

·         Bias in fund allocation, more taxpayers’ money was used to fund establishment of betterhousing for the middle class in society and less funds were allocated for the housing of the poor.

·         Lack of commitment among the government officers especially in the middle income cadreswho did not embrace some of the new policies this was due to insufficient training among thepolitical leaders and the government officials responsible for the implementation of the projectsin the most countries.

·         Financial irregularities in the National Housing Corporation due to the fact that mostbeneficiaries of the new housing schemes were unable to pay their rents to the NHC therebyundermining its efficiency. For example in 1976 a number of NHC employees including thegeneral manager were terminated due to financial irregularities.

·         Unnecessary bureaucratic procedures for one to get funds for house construction as theprocedures could take several years for one to be funded this undermined the projectsdevelopment.

·         The use of expensive and unsustainable house design and materials as a result most countriesfailed to be innovative in designing house for the low income earners in the continent.

Achievements of housing distribution after independence

After independence the government succeeded on the following;

·         Reduction of inequalities in the income between the highest and the lowest income earnersthrough provision of reasonable houses by local authorities in different countries.

·         Decentralization of development for the promotion of development in other parts of thecountry. For example in Tanzania decentralization was made when Dodoma became the newcapital city of Tanzania.

·         Owning of homes in urban centers by the majority through sites and service schemes in Kenyaand Tanzania.

·         Provision of employment opportunities for Africans through establishment of new housingschemes. For example they provided plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation and otherimportant services to the residents.

·         Provision of new investment opportunities to many people due to expansion of the housingmarkets. For example the investment was made through establishment of high class hotels,tourism centers, commodities modernization, airports and importation of luxury commoditiesfor the benefits of tourists from western countries.