Abstract

The population of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, has gone from 400,000 in 1968 to over 1,500,000 in 1981. This tremendous influx of people from the countryside has created an acute housing problem, which the government has attempted to solve by constructing low-cost housing. This project will survey the current housing situation in Abidjan, and will pay particular attention to the type of construction, building costs, socioeconomic characteristics and tenant satisfaction.

Post-Project Summary

Research was based on socioeconomic data collected from a questionnaire survey of 1000 households; and information derived from municipal and government files, banks, and aerial photographs of the city. An inventory of low-cost housing produced in the past 30 years showed that about 43,250 dwellings had been built in Abidjan. The houses serviced three categories: the public, semipublic, and private sectors. Institutions responsible for housing in each sector were identified, as were the locations of the houses. Characteristics of house construction, related costs, and number of rooms available per house were also determined. The main socioeconomic characteristics noted in the study sample were status, family size, employment, and income. Recommendations included a standard size for a three-room house; government regulation of rent fees; and improved access to water and electricity, and land ownership for tenants. Suggestions were also made for provision of schools, health centres, and shopping and entertainment centres to be built in conjunction with housing units to avoid isolating people.

Recipient Institution(s)