A Study of Intercensal Changes in Urban Housing Availability and Quality in Ethiopia: the Case of old and New Regional Capitals
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Date
2000-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study is based on the UN arg7lment that every hody has the right to adequate
she/ter and that society for its welfare depends on the fulfillm ent of the basic
needs: food, health, and shelter. As one mpect, the housing availahility and
qllality in regional capitals of Ethiopia over the 198-/-1994 period are explored
here. Ethiopia witnessed a government change in 1991 together with an
ideological and economic reform. the urban restructuring that follO\ved this
changes maintained 3 of the 12 previ01ls regional administrative capitals while the
rest 9 were given zonal center s/a/lls. The redefinition also included 5 newly
upgraded centers which all gained regional capi/al statlls. After a detailed
examination of the 17 individllal regional capitals the study established that there
are considerable variations in the peljormallce and in the pace of h01lsing
availability and quality hetween and within eqllal status centers. The major
determinants were the favorahle physical location, the easy access of b1lilding
material and the h01lseholds' capacities. The selection of the centers as
administrative capitals indllced overall improvements, which also infl1lenced the
pace. Yet it seems municipalities and local governments did not recognize nor had
not the capacity to 1Ise this opport1lnity. The flltllre s/ill hold<; possibilities f or longterm
sustainable strategies across development centers to 1IItimately redress
ineq1lalities in the access to basic good<; and services and to improve the living
conditions of the urhanites.
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Keywords
Intercensal Changes