Geography & Environment Publications
Housing and Economic Development: The Evolution of An Idea Since 1945
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2006
Volume
30
Issue
4
Journal
Habitat International
First Page
1007
Last Page
1017
URL with Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2005.10.003
Abstract
The construction and use of decent housing affects economic development through its impact on employment, savings, investment, and labour productivity. These facts have only recently come to be widely acknowledged. Since 1945, housing experts have articulated three views about the role of housing for economic development. In the early post-war decades most writers viewed housing as a social expenditure and a drag on growth. A minority argued that housing could be an important adjunct to specific development projects, usually in isolated locations. Since the 1970s, housing has increasingly come to be seen as a contributor to growth, not only because house building is a major employer with large multiplier effects but also because housing is seen to have social consequences with diverse economic effects. This historical narrative as to how opinion has changed raises questions as to why it has changed.
Notes
Dr. Godwin Arku is currently a faculty member at The University of Western Ontario.