4.2. Project Management and Participation

When we assess the self-help housing reconstruction method, we see that in Turkey first of all the central government which these ministries and the general director of disaster affairs and with the local governor of the state level, they look at the 3 different options. One is give them the cash credits, direct financial credits to the homeowner, so what they can do is; they can purchase a new house from the property developer wherein the second aspect, we have the provide technical support plus stage by stage you give some certain payments on construction; to completion of the construction that is delivered to the homeowner. And he again relies on the either a beneficiary managed construction or it could be he relies on the designers of the building contractors who hire, so in that way, that is another process. Whereas in option 3, it is completely a government-managed construction so, in this, they rely on the contractor, so agency driven process and they finish the house and they deliver it to the homeowner so, this is how the self-house mechanism has been conceptualized.

In Turkey, the reconstruction of homes after disasters utilizes three main options. The first option involves providing financial assistance directly to homeowners, allowing them to buy new homes from developers. The second option offers technical support and progressive payments throughout the construction process. The final option is a fully government-managed construction process, where the government takes charge of the entire building project, from planning to completion. Each of these options reflects different levels of homeowner involvement and support mechanisms.

Imagine three friends who want to start a lemonade stand after their neighborhood park is renovated. The first friend is given cash to buy a stand from a store (Option 1), the second friend receives equipment and supplies bit by bit as they set up their stand (Option 2), while the third friend has a local community group build the stand for them (Option 3). Each method has its own benefits and drawbacks, similar to the self-help housing options in Turkey.

And even in this process, there are so especially, in the housing process especially, in after the 2000 Cankiri earthquake, there are also some other shortcomings; one is the house designs offered by the government have very little regard to local rural living styles and while families can choose to use their own design, this entails hiring an architect which the owner must pay for in manage themselves. So, even though the family is getting an option to choose their own design but he has to pay for the architect or the contractor and here, in this process, though the government is ready to give them a training or provide guidance on how to build a technical support, so but it takes a long time to educate the owners about earthquake-safe constructions and design because it depends on their literacy levels, depends on the social and cooperation, how they come in negotiation.

The housing designs provided by the Turkish government often do not consider the traditional living styles of rural communities. While homeowners can opt for their own designs, they must finance an architect themselves. Additionally, although the government promises training and support for earthquake-resistant construction, the effectiveness of this training varies based on the owners' literacy and social engagement. This results in a long education process before homeowners can successfully design and manage their rebuilding projects.

Think of a family that wants to renovate their home with modern amenities but is handed a standard blueprint for a small apartment that doesn’t suit their needs. They can customize it, but they have to hire a designer at their own expense. In a similar way, homeowners in Turkey often face the challenge of adapting government designs to fit their personal or cultural needs after a disaster.

I mean in contact with the government also, they need to know some the managerial techniques of how they can manage the projects themselves and in many cases, it has been noted that contractors run away with some basic deposits and maybe having a small verbal agreements with the owners and they run away so, in that way the whole project leave left incomplete. And there is no involvement of owners in important decisions whether to relocate or where to relocate and what kind of input especially, in this process, so that is one of the important things.

Homeowners need to be knowledgeable about managing their rebuilding projects effectively. Unfortunately, many face the issue of contractors abandoning projects after receiving deposits or failing to honor verbal agreements. Additionally, homeowners often lack input in key decisions regarding relocation and rebuilding, leading to feelings of powerlessness and dissatisfaction with the recovery process.

Picture a sports team where only the coach decides the play strategy without consulting the players. If the players have doubts about the strategy due to their lack of involvement, it can lead to poor performance or even failure. Similarly, homeowners in recovery often find themselves sidelined in decisions that affect their lives, leading to incomplete projects and loss of trust.

In Duzce province after the 1999 earthquake, you can see that in the centres and villages and the district we have the statistical you know, the damage statistics is in providing this table and the house is constructed through the central government financial support, one is the government mass housing process which is about 8004 who is qualified for this; owner of badly damaged or a collapsed house? Self-help similarly, it was almost less than half percentage that is where owner of badly damaged or collapsed house. Whereas, the repair and retrofitting process of 4874 which is about owner of semi damaged house, which means it is possible for the reconstruction.

In the aftermath of the 1999 earthquake in Duzce, Turkey, a distinction was made among various homeownership statuses to determine who qualified for rebuilding aid. The government's mass housing program primarily supported a significant number of homeowners with severely damaged or collapsed houses. Conversely, those who could engage in self-help reconstruction received far fewer resources. The program also differentiated between homeowners with semi-damaged houses who could potentially be repaired. Clarifying these statistics helps highlight how disaster recovery efforts often prioritize certain groups over others.

Consider a community that receives aid after a flood, but assistance is primarily directed at homeowners, ignoring renters or those in shared housing. In the same way, post-earthquake initiatives in Duzce often focused on homeowners, leaving others without support, similar to how a team focuses on certain athletes during a training camp while neglecting others who still need help.

So, this is where the turkey realized the sense of the self-approved, self-help development process and that is where the new approaches, the new partnerships has been developed, this is what we are going to discuss about 3 in different cases and in the Duzce province.

Turkey recognized the importance of self-help development processes in housing after disasters, which prompted new approaches and partnerships. This acknowledgment led to the exploration of three specific case studies in Duzce province that demonstrate how self-help housing initiatives can be implemented successfully.

Imagine a community coming together to build a playground after a flood instead of waiting for government funding. The idea of self-initiative and cooperation brings together various groups to create a space for children, showcasing the impact of community-driven efforts in recovery.

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