When home is elsewhere: housing policy challenges in the context of transit migration in Ghana and South Africa

Dick, Eva / Thorsten Heitkamp
External Publications (2015)

in: International Journal for Urban Sustainable Development 8(1), 68-82

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19463138.2015.1035723
Information

In the last few years the relevance of transit migration was corroborated for many African countries. Oftentimes, it is related to urban migrants’ subsisting linkages to their areas of origin, other times by the necessity or aspiration for onward journey. Based on recent research, this article examines the consequences of transit migration for the urban housing market and related challenges for sustainable housing policies in Ghana and South Africa. While in Ghana governmental housing hardly considers the urban poor, in South Africa a substantial post-apartheid subsidy system explicitly targets the lowest-income population. This article argues that neither approach adequately addresses transitory housing requirements related to mobility. Whereas the informal housing market can and often has responded with pragmatic solutions, it does not provide the maximum benefit to migrants. Therefore urban governments should enhance options in this increasingly important and highly dynamic housing sector recognising and enhancing informal approaches.

About the author

Dick, Eva

Sociologist and Spatial Planner

Dick

Further experts

Balasubramanian, Pooja

Social Economics 

Baumann, Max-Otto

Political Science 

Breuer, Anita

Political Scientist 

Brüntrup, Michael

Agricultural Economy 

Burchi, Francesco

Development Economy 

El-Haddad, Amirah

Economy 

Fasold, Maximilian

Political Economy 

Faus Onbargi, Alexia

Political Science 

Haldenwang, Christian von

Political Science 

Houdret, Annabelle

Political Scientist 

Leininger, Julia

Political Scientist 

Malerba, Daniele

Economy 

Morare, Ditebogo Modiegi

Political Science 

Mudimu, George Tonderai

Agricultural policy economics 

Nowack, Daniel

Political Science 

Roll, Michael

Sociology