Cause And Effects Of Informal Housing Development In Adama Town, The Case Of Boku Shanan Sub-City

Abstract

Currently the process of urbanization has reached an unprecedented level. Most of the rapid urbanization phenomena happen in developing countries. As a result, a disturbing feature of this trend is explosion of informal housing development and unplanned expansion in cities of developing countries. As in other cities of developing countries, the expansion of informal settlements in Adama becomes a major urban planning problem. Due to high population growth and other related factors, the city cannot meet the ever-increasing demand for land and housing by the dwellers.This paper focuses on understanding the formation and expansion, effects and characteristics of informal Housing hosing that are found in four kebeles of Boku shanan sub city. To meet the objective of this study, data related to this study was collected from 96 household heads selected. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and discussion with dwellers, brokers, farmers, municipality officials and professionals and Kebele administrators. Also site observation, mapping and photographing were done to show the study in-depth. The Paper has used systematic random sampling for informal settlers and purposive sampling for experts and officials. According to the major findings of the study, the major factors contributing to the formation and expansions of informal settlements in the study area are Failure of Plan Implementation, lack of financial capacity, rental of unaffordable housing on formal land, absence of accountability and transparency, corruption, and delay in responding to land supply systems as the causes of informal settlement in the study area. The common characteristics of informal housing in the study area are insecurity of tenure, poor housing conditions, lack of infrastructure and basic services, large plot sizes. These have greatly contributed to the unplanned and rapid horizontal expansion of the built-up area of the town, low income group, and hazardous environmental conditions such as flooding.Some of the approaches followed to eliminate the phenomena are harmful to the population. Therefore, the government should address informal housing backlog in the city and challenges posed by informal settlements by setting appropriate regulations and Policies to regularize the existing informal housing