Urban Poverty and the Housing Condition the .Poor in Addis Ababa: A Case Study of selected Kebeles in Central Addis Ababa
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Like in other developing countries, population factors in Ethiopia have long been
recognized as among the important variables of development. Urbanization in the
country is now proceeding in situation where economic development and resource
availability are not in congruence wifh requirement of the population.
Since the last decade or so, Addis Ababa like others cities of the Third world has been
experiencing accelerated population growth rates. During the same period, poverty
has also become a serious problem in the city.
Poverty is a reality that needs to be studied and then eradicated. In order to reduce
or eliminate, it is first necessary to have a reliable poverty profile. This study,
therefor, aims at assessing the condition of poverty in selected Kebeles of central
Addis Ababa.
The date used in this study was gathered through a questionnaire survey that covered
400 households in selected Kebeles o/central Addis Ababa.
As the findings oj this study reveal, 47.7% of the overall interviewed households are
below the food poverty line(could not afford the cost of minimum food consumption
basket) with an average of about 21% food shortfall (food consumption gap) to teach
the food poverty line. Considering total poverty, the incidence of poverty increased
to 55.5%, while the total consumption gapCdepth of total poverty)averaged 25.4%. In
spite of the variations observed, Kebeles with high incidence, depth and severity of
hoth food and total poverty include Kebele 09 Wereda 02, Kebele 13 of Wereda 06,
Kebele 32 of Wereda 07, Kebele 20 of Wereda 09, Kebele 21 of Wereda 14 and
Kebele 20 of We:reda 15 and Kebele 35 of Wereda 18. It also appears from the
findings of this study that the relative contribution of these Kebeles to the overall
features of poverty in central Addis Ababa is quit high, which perhaps provide insight
in to the nation that poverty has Significant regional (spatial) dimension. Evidence
from the findings of this study, further indicated important demographic and socioeconomic
corrects of poverty. Accordingly, poor hOllseholds are mainly those with
big household size, headed by females that are widowed, divorced or separated from
their spouses, old. illiterate people or people with low level of education, unemployed
and retired people and people with iriformal occupations. One could (llso observed
the same for households headed by people whose main source of income is with
remittance ott pension.
Housing is a highly visible dimension of poverty. Accordingly, it was found that
sizeable proportion of poor households live in stnlcturally poor(law quality) rented
housing units under over crowded condition where basic housing facilities and
amenities are often lucking.
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Geography