Causes of poor housing

According to Duncan (2009) the following are the causes of poor housing;

1. Lack of access to financing
2. Housing supply constraints
3. Lack of access land
4. Poverty low-income levels and unemployment
5. Urbanization
6. Insecure property rights for land and housing
7. Poor government policies and regulating framework
8. Inadequate professionals or skilled man power
9. Displacement of people through planned evictions natural disaster and war
10. Poor perception of housing sanitation as an essential service and a major determination of health and good standard of living.
11. High level of illiteracy in the country

Identification of poor housing in a community

Poor housing can be identified in a community through the following ways:

Balchin (2008), a lot of ways have been brought into cognizance on how to identified housing that are poorly constructed which include:

1. Leaky roof: Some poor houses usually go with leaking roof and this is caused by localized damage of the asbestos such as crack or blustered area of some part of the roof which can result to flooding within the house; leading to climate factors and destruction of properties.
2. Dilapidation of building: It is a common problem especially in the rural area where nondurable materials are being used in construction of building. Dilapidation occurs when a building is in a state of disrepair and maintenance for a long period of time and this can lead to destruction of properties and lives.
3. Broken floor: Poor housing is associated with broken floor within the house and it come from the usage of building. The floor breaks easily and results to dust which can harbour micro-organism that can cause disease condition among the inmates of the building.
4. Poor lighting: The absence of lighting is usually attached with poor housing in rural area and mostly revering communities lack light in their building. People suffering from light deprivation are more likely to experience depression as eye strain, accident etc.
5. Lack of drainage system: Absence of drainage/poor surface drainage are usually common in a community. It is a problem that may exist from the start and develop over time due to interior materials in construction of drains and lack of proper supervision coupled with maintenance of drainage system which cause flooding in the community.
6. Overcrowding: Balchin (2008) stated that overcrowding in house is very common worldwide today. A house or room can be overcrowded with people, properties more than the available space in the rooms. Overcrowding leads to the sustainability and proliferation of sporadic outbreak of airborne disease.
7. Absence of latrine accommodation: Poor housing is usually characterized with absence of adequate latrines.
8. Absence of potable water supply: Water supply is a basic necessity of life and it is required by everybody. Absence of water supply is a major characteristic of poor housing.

References

Balchin, F.M. (2008). Housing improvement and social inequality Grower publisher.

Duncan, J. (2009). Inadequate housing in Latin American and the Caribbean Jamaica: Rugged publication.