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Why does housing shortage occur?
Reasons for housing shortage
• Rapid population growth
• High birth rates
• Migration
• Competing land use
• Limited land supply
Rapid population growth
• Rapid population growth will lead to an increased demand for housing, which can in turn lead to housing shortage.
• Urbanisation: The increase in the proportion of the world’s population living in cities
Migration
• Migration refers to the movement of people from one area to another to take up residence for at least a year
• Rural-urban migration refers to the movement of people from rural areas into cities to live and work
• People migrate due to ‘push’ or ‘pull’ factors
• Push factors: The undesirable qualities of the place they wish to leave e.g.
o Lack of job opportunities
o Poor educational facilities
o Lack of medical attention
o Famine
o War
Pull factors: The attractive qualities of the place they would like to move to e.g.
o Promise of work
o Better schooling and further education
o More hospitals and doctors
o Perception of exciting city life
o Political stability
• The decision to migrate is often due to a combination of both factors
• People in rural areas often migrate to cities for job opportunities in search of a better life
• Migrants do not always get jobs in cities
– There are a limited number of jobs for migrants
– Migrants may lack the skills required for jobs available in the cities
• Migrants who cannot obtain a source of income cannot afford housing
• Cities cannot build enough houses for huge numbers of migrants quickly enough, causing them to settle in slums
Another reason for housing shortage is a high birth rate. The rural migrants may contribute also to the high birth rate as most of them are in their 20s to 30s where they are likely to start families. The large family size in some cities makes it hard to provide housing for all.
Competing land use
• Land has many uses
– Residential
– Commercial
– Industrial
– Recreational
• Land dedicated for one use will not be available for another
– Example: If a piece of land is occupied by a huge industrial park, that plot of land will not be available for housing development.
• Stiff competition for land can result in insufficient land for housing
Limited land supply
• Cities have limited land supply
• Physical features limit the amount of land that can be used to build housing
– Seas, rivers, mountains
• The amount of flat land is limited
• Steep slopes are not ideal for housing development
– Cost of construction tends to be high
– Landslides can cause damage to buildings
• Cities with very small land areas may have insufficient land for housing
– There is a limit to how much land can be reclaimed from the seas
• Cities with high population densities need to house more people in a small area
– Large population size vs limited land areas
Rapid population growth in the cities leading to housing shortage in Nigeria
Manila - the pull of a city
Rural-urban migration in China
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