Community-Driven Versus Government-Driven Housing Projects

The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the process and project-based approaches to low-income housing development. The study was conducted in Hatcliffe Extension settlement; a low-income community located twenty kilometers from the capital, Harare. Two low-income housing projects were assessed with one being supported by a local non-governmental organization Dialogue on Shelter and the other being assisted by the Zimbabwean government’s Operation Garikai programme. A qualitative research approach was used and the data was generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews with three participants from either project. The findings from the study provided a wealth of information pertaining to the two low-income housing development approaches that were adopted by the two institutions. Notable aspects of the two approaches that were more prominent in results relate to their participatory nature, capacity-building mechanisms, empowerment benefits, social cohesion and scope for sustainability. More significantly, the results also highlight the participants’ perceptions and assessment of the two projects.

Masimba is a development practitioner with experience in urban development issues and low-income housing in particular. He holds a BSc. Hon in Psychology from University of Zimbabwe, Masters in Development Studies from Free State University and Post-graduate Diploma from Institute of Housing Urban Studies from Rotterdam in The Netherlands.