Research needs and priorities in housing and construction in Ethiopia

This paper attempts to present the main elements that are of central importance to housing problems and, in addition, gives an overview of the existing situations of housing research and construction activities in Ethiopia. It is hoped that such information may help the participants of the Seminar to suggest solutions in order to enhance the research and development for housing and construction activities and secure decent shelter for unfortunate urban groups in the developing countries.     

基于GIS技术的住房建设布局引导探讨——以天津市住房建设规划为例

一、引言 随着国家对居民住房宏观调控力度的加大,国务院、住房和城乡建设部等国家部委相继出台了以《国务院办公厅关于促进房地产市场平稳健康发展的通知》（国办发[2010]4号）、《国务院关于坚决遏制部分城市房价过快上涨的通知》（国办发[2010]10号）和国土资源部《国土资源部关于加强房地产用地供应和监管有关问题的通知》（国土资发[2010]34号）为主的房地产市场调控文件,加强了政府对住房建设、特别是保障性住房建设的干预,进而定下了未来住房建设的主要基调。     

Evaluating housing needs with the use of GIS

Rosario (Argentina) has different levels of housing quality and access to physical and social infrastructure. To assess the needs of newly decentralised districts, it is necessary to supply the municipality with new tools to analyse weaknesses and potentialities. The use of GIS can help in this evaluation. It can be implemented at the Public Housing Service to detect problem areas and improve the allocation of resources by efficiently targeting housing needs. Indicators are used to measure different levels of housing needs and provision of basic services. Spatial inequity related to the access to social infrastructure is calculated for the most disadvantaged groups. Expressed demand is also calculated and compared with the demand derived from the indicators. According to the evaluation it can be concluded that the city of Rosario is facing disparities inside the districts. The combined use of derived demand with expressed demand proves to be efficient to detect cases of housing needs where derived demand via indicators is showing lower levels of demand or hiding the situation completely. The growing demand of GIS tools and the availability of census data in digital format will improve and consolidate the evaluation of housing needs and its effect on spatial inequity.     

Disabling Homes: a study of the housing needs of disabled people in Cornwall

This research was carried out between January and July 1993. The study was an evaluation of housing need of disabled people who were wheelchair users through a process of consumer consultation. It was concerned to find out the extent and nature of that need whilst also testing out consultation through the use of research methods in comparison with a non-consultative approach taken by the local authorities. The nature of need was found to be qualitatively different to that found through the study of normative needs. A significant number of disabled people were being made more dependent by their housing and this was being reinforced by the agencies that were intended to help them. In particular, the failure to consult disabled people was leading the local authorities to make inappropriate plans for new build housing while the major need for adaptations was being undermined by their operation of the Disabled Facilities Grant. The findings support the call from other writers that the solutions to housing problems will only come through viewing disability as a civil rights issue.     

The construction of housing for the urban poor of Lagos

Although, the majority of housing built in many Third World cities is by the urban poor, it is recognised that very few detailed studies of the actual construction process exist. This is the task which is carried out in this paper which combines materials from a specific field study in Lagos, along with other information to (1) provide a brief examination of the organisation and process of the construction of housing in developing societies; (2) provide a brief discussion of the housing prerequisites for/obstacles to housing among the urban poor; (3) examine the construction process among the urban poor; (4) finally extract the implications of this for policy and political action.     

A positive outlook? The housing needs and aspirations of working age people with visual impairments

This paper arises from research, funded by the Housing Corporation and the Thomas Pocklington Trust, which investigated the housing needs and priorities of visually impaired people of working age, a population that has received little public policy attention. We report on the housing circumstances and aspirations of 121 people living in London. In-depth study discovered that people of working age who have vision impairment can be disadvantaged by inflexible procedures that adversely affect their transition to independence, as well as their self-determination with respect to family issues. The study also learned that this population has particular needs in relation to domestic and outside space, home location and safety and security measures. Furthermore, the interviewees indicated that specialist supported housing may develop a stronger role if it diversifies and provides non-institutional stepping stones towards greater autonomy.     

Unmet physical and mental healthcare needs of children with a history of familial homelessness and unstable housing

The objective of this paper is to examine whether children with a history of unstable housing, and more specifically homelessness, have unmet physical and mental healthcare needs. Further, this paper describes primary caregivers’ barriers to children’s healthcare. Data were collected from 6492 primary caregivers of children ages 0–17 years residing in five Dallas, Texas counties. Primary caregivers reported whether they previously experienced homelessness with their children, their children’s unmet mental and physical healthcare needs, and primary reasons for the unmet healthcare needs. Results suggest that children with a history of homelessness or unstable housing had increased odds of both mental and physical unmet healthcare needs. Prevention efforts should attempt to bridge resources for families who obtain housing but are still at increased risk for the long-term effects of homelessness exposure.     

Forensics ergonomics in Spain. Research priorities by the Delphi technique

Among the many fields of application of Ergonomics, this research deals with the services offered to Justice from the expertise recognized by the Law on prevention of occupational risks within the framework of the Law of Civil Procedure: Ergonomics forensic also called Legal Ergonomics. In Spain there are experiences since 1995 and an important development and this paper is to investigate the actions required for a more widespread use in trials. Consensus methods such as the Delphi survey technique are being employed to help enhance effective decision-making in the future development of Ergonomics Forensics. The Delphi survey is a group facilitation technique, which is an iterative multistage process, designed to transform opinion into group consensus. It is a flexible approach, that is used commonly within the health and social sciences, however, there is little use and practice of ergonomics as a technique to facilitate the participation of all experts involved: judges, lawyers and expert ergonomists.     

重庆市保障性住房发展研究

一、重庆市保障性住房发展现状 目前．重庆市保障性住房体系主要由公有住房、经济适用住房和廉租住房3个部分组成。     

Knowledge translation and implementation of housing first in Canada: A qualitative assessment of capacity building needs for an evidence-based program

We examined communities’ expressed needs for capacity building in the implementation of Housing First (HF) for persons experiencing homelessness. The findings are based on thematic analyses of qualitative data obtained from participants (n = 77) in 11 focus groups conducted in seven Canadian cities. We identified capacity building needs in the areas of training (e.g., HF principles, clinical services, landlord engagement) and technical assistance (e.g., intake coordination, client prioritization, fidelity assessment). These findings were used to tailor training and technical assessment (TTA) to the stages of HF implementation in these cities. Limitations and implications for future theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

关于补充住房公积金使用的研究

天津的住房公积金制度是从1992年以后逐步建立的，住房公积金制度实际上是一种住房保障制度，建立住房公积金的主要目的在于通过城镇所有机关和企事业单位及其在职职工每月缴存一定数量的住房公积金，建立起解决职工住房问题的住房建设基金，使每一个职工都能住上自己比较满意的住房。建立职工住房公积金制度，为职工较好、较快地解决住房问题提供了保障。     

Sustainable housing applications and policies for low-income self-build and housing rehab

Recent years have seen an increased focus on the role of house construction and retrofitting within the broader agenda of sustainable development and climate change. To date this focus has largely targeted middle- and upper-income residential neighborhoods in urban areas. However, in the United States, and in middle developing countries such as Brazil and Mexico, there is growing recognition that urban sustainability will only gain traction if widespread applications are also incorporated into self-help and do-it-yourself housing construction and home improvements, especially those that address lower-income housing markets. Here we explore some of the potential ways in which contemporary sustainable housing applications may be integrated into the existing housing stock in low-income and informal settlements in the United States and in Latin America. We document the range of sustainable housing applications that are increasingly available in the U.S. as a baseline for discussion and evaluation of the potential application to lower-income segments of the housing market in both developed and developing countries. A heuristic model is presented to assess the extent to which policy makers, NGOs and low-income owner households may realistically participate in sustainable home building. Beyond physical development applications we close by emphasizing that sustainable housing agendas must adopt a holistic approach: one that embraces community and social organizational development, as well as fiscal and juridical policy dimensions.