The Development Of Affordable Public Housing System And Policies In South Sudan

Affordable Public Housing “APH” project issues remain a challenge in the most African countries like South Sudan.In South Sudan most of the houses are private and it has been constructed from local materials,due to the absent of housing system programme and regulations towards the demands of poor ordinary people.The study tried to find out the key issues affecting the provision of APH project in South Sudan.These issues are very important to be identified to fulfill the gaps that the literature review had already pointed them out in the public housing system in those African countries.From the local literature review,concerning those African countries,it has proved that public housing system is the only way to fulfill the demands of the poor ordinary people,reduce the housing shortage and overcome the informal settlements in the rural and urban cities.Therefore it can be said that,in South Sudan there is no clear housing system compare to those local African countries.The research was conducted through two sites investigations and interview face to face with the community representatives of the sites,fifty(50)housing units' project in Juba and housing for veterans for sustainable peace and development in Wau.The interviews were carried out with private developer(local company),municipal,and government officials of Ministry of Lands,Housing and Urban Development “MLH&UD”.In the Ministry of Housing the interviewees were represented by some of the departments related to the research project,such as Department of Housing,Department of Lands,Department of Finance,Department of Physical Planning,Undersecretary,and the Minister.In each department only the heads of units had been interviewed.The interviews questions were designed according to the job description of each official in conjunction with the research topic and the time limit given was 30 minutes for each.The conceptual frameworks of this research project initially considered the key issues intersect with each other in the implementation of public housing project.The study also found so many different issues related to the provision of APH which were identified through two projects cases in the country and from some of the interview questions.These aspects namely;housing typology,housing affordability,housing condition,housing construction,infrastructure,land provision,housing finance,and finally housing management.The study thought to find and design physical space solution and new system for general public housing program in South Sudan.These solutions included proposed APH project by suggested two different housing typology models for 1)rural housing and low income household's typologies and 2)urban housing centers and high income household's typologies.More else the general model of the new housing system offered mechanisms for the three main aspects which are land provision mechanisms,finance mechanism,and management mechanism with policy guidelines for each of the mechanisms to be considered by the key stakeholders involved in the new system.The research concluded that,there is need to address the APH project through two approaches;1)through government policies by using public housing as a tool in the policy and 2)through public housing programme that address the key opportunities and the demands of the citizen especially the poor ordinary people.The study also recommended so many different recommendations for the priority areas for the implementation of housing project in the country.To make the dream reality,efforts must be put into the new system and the difficulties which may appear in the future.Furthermore recommendations need to be considered by all the participants of the housing project and community engagement is the most important for success and better development of APH project in South Sudan.