Abstract
Despite considerable housing deficits, particularly in Africa, and the prioritization of housing agendas by many governments, there is relatively little research on the most cost-effective approaches to use. This paper provides a comparative analysis of four programmes addressing the housing needs of the residents of one Namibian town. The analysis informs our understanding of the most cost-effective and affordable ways to reach the town’s low-income residents. The research developed a financial framework to estimate both direct and indirect costs. We show that the lowest-cost approach is in situ upgrading; that higher-cost solutions, only affordable to higher-income groups, have higher unit subsidies; and that many subsidies are not explicit but reflect financial contributions that are not tracked. This analysis addresses a gap in the housing literature; despite widely recognized policy and programming challenges, there is little that addresses the need of policymakers for evidence about what works.
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