Agingu, Nellie Jane, "Site and Services: A Solution for Low-Income Settlements; The Case of Dandora Community Development Project"

To date no housing strategy has adequately met the needs of low-income populations. With the United Nations goal of shelter for all by the year 2000, many nations are seeking for both short and long term strategies to better house their populations. However, developing nations appear to have a more urgent need given the percentage of their low-income population. Kenya is no exception to this urgent need. Their past efforts indicate that strategies applied so far have not managed to reach those in direct need.

The present thesis examines this problem through the critical examination of a completed project: the Dandora Project in Kenya. Analysis of Dandora Site and Service indicates that the need is beyond that of housing and that any search for solutions should be more comprehensive. It appears that housing is the most visible need among all those experienced by low-income groups. The underlying constraints range from political, economic, perceptual and to some extent technical. Unless a process is initiated whereby the allocation of certain assets, particularly land, housing and education, is completely removed from the market place, the market will continue to work against such egalitarian reforms. It is a task that neither governments nor community groups can accomplish alone. The solution may come from active involvement of the government, private sector and the community members. Integration of housing into other efforts such as economic or community development should make the process of housing an opportunity for social and cultural development. So long as the governments in developing societies fall to address the housing problem for the poor sector of their population, the continuing plight of this sector will threaten the very existence and order of those societies.

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This document was last modified on February 20, 2001.