Assessing the Role of Housing Co-operatives in Providing Affordable Accommodation to Low Income Earners in Mutare Urban

Abstract

As engines for socio-economic growth, housing co-operatives are capable of providing opportunities for the lowest paid person to own a decent and affordable house in urban areas. Low income earners pull their resources together in a co operative society and construct their own houses. The cumulative housing backlog in Zimbabwe is estimated at one million five hundred thousand over a total population of thirteen million. In Mutare, the cumulative housing backlog is around fifty thousand over a total population of one hundred and eighty seven thousand six hundred and twenty one. Despite the rapid increase in housing co-operatives in the country, it seems co-operatives are constrained in reducing the cumulative housing backlog. This study examined the role of housing co-operatives in providing affordable accommodation to low income earners in Mutare Urban using the Collective Action Theory. Existing literature was used as a source of secondary data, questionnaires and face to face interviews were used to collect primary data in Mutare Urban. A representative sample of ten percent of housing co-operatives and beneficiaries in Mutare Urban was used. Simple random sampling was used to select five co-operatives out of fifty co-operatives in Mutare Urban and systematic random sampling was used to select co-operative members who were administered with questionnaires. Five key informants and five chairpersons of housing co-operatives under study were purposefully sampled. The findings revealed that housing co operatives are a remedy in providing affordable accommodation to low income earners only when given the right support and with less political interference. Several challenges mentioned include, non-payment of subscriptions, lack of funding, limited land, political interference and corruption. Key recommendations include, continuous training of members on co-operative management, government to continue to avail land and increase funding. The study suggests future surveys on the provision of housing from a local authority, private land developer, NGO and central government perspective.