6. Enabling Housing Solutions

And also, this is a kind of partial upgrade with reclaimed materials they have the developed with the kind of whatever, they have able to procure from the past site or with their feasibilities, they have made some modifications to their shelters. And within a month 53% of the house owners have started to upgrade their shelters and this is very quick, within a month if this kind of change is 53%.

In this chunk, we learn about a rapid improvement effort by house owners. They utilized reclaimed materials—items they gathered from previous sites—to make modifications to their shelters. Remarkably, after just one month, over half (53%) of house owners had upgraded their homes. This shows how quickly and effectively people can adapt their living spaces when they have access to materials and resources.

Imagine a community after a storm where many houses were damaged. Instead of waiting for government help, neighbors come together and use fallen branches and unused materials to repair their homes. This teamwork and resourcefulness can lead to rapid improvements, much like the upgrades done by the house owners in this scenario.

The priorities were first doors, second walls and the third is windows, so the ventilation aspect. And some beneficiaries bought their own timber for walls, doors and windows as we have seen in this complete set is in a timber.

Here, we see that when upgrading their shelters, people prioritized certain elements. First, they focused on doors, then walls, and lastly, windows. This prioritization highlights the importance of functionality, especially ventilation, in their living conditions. Some individuals even chose to invest their own money in timber to make these improvements, demonstrating their commitment to making their homes better.

Think of a student organizing their study space. They might first get a good chair (like a door) to ensure they are comfortable, then add a sturdy desk (the walls) to support their work, and finally put up some shelves (the windows) for decoration. This logical progression illustrates how prioritization can lead to a more functional environment.

Others sold a plastic sheeting and hired the local artisans to build adobe walls. So, they have given it back and they sold it in the market and they could able to get some money and they could able to put some more money and built the adobe walls and so this whole process you know, it’s all showing up an incremental process depending on each household what kind of economic feasibility they had.

This part discusses how some beneficiaries turned to the community for help. They sold plastic sheeting they received and used the money to pay local artisans to construct sturdier adobe walls. This behavior showcases how families adapted based on their financial situations—some had the means to invest, while others worked within limited budgets. It reflects an incremental approach to housing improvement.

Consider a person who has a smartphone they no longer use. They sell it to save up for a new laptop that is essential for their job. By leveraging their existing resources, they improve their situation step by step—similar to how the families sold plastic sheeting to build better homes.

And some paid for the labour in kind using the tools they were given in the shelter kit and some sold their tools once shelters were complete to buy household furnishings.

In this section, we see diverse economic strategies among the families. Some opted to pay for labor using tools provided in their shelter kits. Others chose to sell those tools once their shelters were completed to fund additional household items. This illustrates how communities prioritize resources and adapt after they improve their living conditions.

Think about someone who borrows a special cooking tool to prepare a meal. Once they’re done, they sell that tool to buy ingredients for their next cooking adventure. This shift demonstrates how one resource can lead to another need being fulfilled, just as tools helped families improve their homes.

So, with this, the government have understood that yes there is a possibility that to scale up this process. So, now what they did was they developed from 18 square meters to 20 square meters and the permanent walls of adobe and timber and they launched the project build about 40,000 low cost houses.

The government recognized the success of the incremental upgrades and decided to expand the effort, increasing the size of houses from 18 to 20 square meters and focusing on building permanent adobe and timber walls. This led to a large-scale project aiming to construct 40,000 low-cost homes. The government's involvement signifies acknowledgment of community efforts and builds on those successes to reach more families.

Imagine a small bakery that starts selling a few pastries and gains popularity in its neighborhood. Seeing the demand, the owner decides to expand the menu and hire more staff to produce more items to meet the needs of a larger customer base. This rush to grow from success parallels the government's expansion of housing opportunities.

But when you talk about the theoretical understanding of it, you know as I said you in the beginning transition shelter is not a noun, it is a verb, it is a process.

This segment emphasizes the idea that housing should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a final product. The term 'transition shelter' suggests it's about continuous improvement and adaptation as residents live and engage with their spaces. Recognizing that a house becomes a home through modifications and personalization is crucial for understanding effective shelter solutions.

Think of learning a musical instrument like the guitar. Initially, you may just know a few chords, but over time, as you practice and evolve, you develop unique styles and skills—transforming from a beginner to a confident player. Just as music is a journey, so too is the creation of a home.

So, that is where he talks about the use value derived from this approach was more significant than the market value, as what housing does for the user is more important than what it is.

This part explores the concept that the benefits provided by housing to its occupants ('use value') hold more importance than the sheer monetary worth of the housing ('market value'). The user’s experience and the functionalities that make the house livable are central to housing solutions, stressing a more personalized and user-focused approach.

Consider your favorite childhood toy. While it may not have been expensive, the joy and memories it brought were priceless to you. In housing, like in that toy, the emotional satisfaction and utility far outweigh what it's worth in a store.

And similarly, John Habraken supports on 3 levels of decision making; one is the tissue and the support which is the base building.

In discussing decision-making in housing, John Habraken identifies three levels of systems: the 'tissue' (urban fabric), 'support' (base building), and 'infill' (individual user modifications). The tissue remains stable over time, while supports can change according to needs, and infills are the most frequently adjusted. Understanding these levels helps clarify the roles individuals, housing developments, and municipalities play.

Imagine a garden. The soil (tissue) stays mostly the same, providing a base for plants. The structures like trellises (supports) can change, perhaps for better plant growth, but the flowers and vegetables (infill) will change often—season to season and even day to day. This analogy illustrates the dynamic nature of housing.

Similarly, buildings are also essentially made of 6 time bound layers. This is space time phenomenon which Ian Bentley also talks about it. One is a site, which generally does not change...

This chunk elaborates on the idea that buildings consist of six layers that change over time. The site itself is usually fixed, while foundational structures (which are costly to alter), exterior surfaces, service installations, interior layouts, and furniture vary frequently. Understanding these layers is key to managing a building's life cycle and meeting user needs effectively.

Think about how clothes we wear change with seasons while some basic items like our favorite coat or shoes remain constant. In housing, just like with clothing, the foundational elements may last long, but decorations, furniture, and even the color of the walls often change to keep up with personal or current trends.

The enabling approach, how we can enable this process and one is the finance you know because this is one the enabling approach recognizes the bottleneck to housing created limited access to finance.

This chunk discusses the enabling approach to housing development, which focuses on eliminating barriers like financial constraints. It stresses the importance of financial access in successfully providing adequate housing. By facilitating funding and offering financial tools, more families can achieve housing stability.

Imagine a farmer needing a tractor to cultivate their land effectively. If they can't afford it, production can stall. Providing access to financing could be the difference between succeeding or struggling, paralleling how increased access to housing finance can empower families to build or upgrade homes.

--