Analyzing the performance of local housing policies in Masindi Municipality

Abstract

Housing is one of the basic human needs that have an impact on the health wealth, welfare, social attitude and economic production of an individual. It is also an indication of an individual standard of living and his or her place. Housing development in a lame man’s language refers to how one can use the surrounding environment to come up with a house or building. There are different types of housing development which include residential, commercial and industrial. Furthermore, housing can be divided based on the size of the household, ways of payment and its life time. Just like any other sector, housing sector in any country has policies which govern the sector and have objectives of improving the housing standards for particular country. The development trend of Uganda’s housing policy have been erratic right from the time before independence. Since then a number of national housing policies have been enacted for. The national shelter strategy in 1992 which has evolved to the current National housing policy of 2016. Based on the national housing policy, there are number of local housing policies set up for different localities to play a role in improving the standard of structure for human living. This research has studied the local housing policies in Masindi municipality, compliance level, challenges hindering compliance by house developers and strategies that can be used for effective operation of these policies. Findings reveal that polices in Masindi municipality were enacted based on the plot sizes and type of development. Compliance is relatively high after enactment in 2007 and the major challenges are high interest rates on loans, high taxation rates, lack of awareness about the HFI and policies. The study further identified the strategies as sensitization about the policies and HFI, funding of technical institutions to increase on semi-skilled workers. The study has concluded on the findings and recommended appropriately.