General Rewision (Housing) Flashcards
Tall tall HDBs!
List out the factors which cause housing shortage.
✮ High birth rates ✮ Migration from rural to urban areas ✮ Competing land use ✮ Limited land supply ✮ Better healthcare (extra point)
Explain how high birth rates lead to housing shortage.
✮ Cities have a large proportion of people in their 20s and 30s who are likely to start a family
✮ This leads to above-average fertility rates, leading to a high natural increase
✮ Hence, housing demand increases for future generations.
Explain how migration from rural to urban areas leads to housing shortage.
✮ Cities have better infrastructure than rural areas for ease of business
✮ This opens up better quality jobs in greater quantity because there would be greater economic development in the cities
✮ Hence, people from rural villages would be incentivised to migrate over to cities in search of these job opportunities and a better lifestyle
✮ However, cities may be unable to cope with the growing demand for jobs. The migrants lack skills.
✮ Migrants remain unemployed and cannot afford housing so they end up in slums.
✮ Push factors: life in rural areas is harsh. There is a lack of job opportunities, medical attention, famine, etc
✮ Pull factors: Many people move from the rural areas to the cities in search of better job opportunities, education, etc
Explain how competing land use leads to housing shortage.
✮ In cities which have to cater to the needs of a growing population and economy, there is often conflicting land uses
✮ Governments need to maximise the amount of land they have and allocate appropriate amounts of land to the various sectors
✮ As land dedicated to one use cannot be used for another, insufficient land may be allocated and this may lead to housing shortages
Explain how limited land supply leads to housing shortage.
✮ Physical features such as seas, rivers or mountains limit the amount of land that can be used for housing
✮ Flat land is preferred for development.
✮ Cost of construction on steep slopes is high
✮ Landslides may occur on slopes and cause damage
✮ Some cities have very small land areas.
✮ There is a limit to land reclamation.
Explain how better healthcare leads to housing shortage.
✮ Better healthcare means a decreased death rate and an increased life expectancy.
✮ Hence, population increases.
List out the impacts of housing shortage.
✮ Environmental pollution
✮ Homelessness
✮ Vulnerability of residents
✮ Low level of health due to poor living conditions
Explain how housing shortage causes environmental pollution.
✮ Water pollution may occur as the rivers near slum areas may be used for washing, garbage and sewage disposal.
✮ Contaminants may seep into groundwater and pollute nearby water sources too (e.g. wells).
✮ Land pollution may also occur as there is a lack of garbage disposal systems in slums, result in dumping of garbage in open drains and areas outside the houses.
✮ The garbage may also disrupt the general lifestyle of residents in slums due to the poor stench and the bad landscape.
Explain how housing shortage causes homelessness.
✮ Homelessness has a negative impact on an individual’s health
✮ They are exposed to the cold or rain, hunger and lack of sleep
✮ Hence, they suffer illnesses such as skin infections, respiratory problems and stress disorders
Explain how housing shortage causes vulnerability of residents.
✮ People living in slums and squatters are vulnerable to fires, landslides and evictions. They face the risk of injury, death as well as loss of property.
✮ Slums are often built of flammable materials, eg cardboards, which catch fire easily
✮ Loose wires are also frequently present
✮ For densely populated slums found on steep slopes, landslides may happen which will have disastrous consequences
✮ Slums and squatter settlements may be built on land without permission from relevant authorities
✮ Hence, they lack a sense of security because they may be forced out of their homes any time (eviction).
✮ Social tension is also present between groups of people (e.g. when eviction happens).
Explain how housing shortage causes low level of health due to poor living conditions.
✮ In slums and squatters, there is a lack of supervision from the government.
✮ Hence, there is a lack of access to electricity, clean water, proper sanitation and waste disposal due to a lack of infrastructure such as power lines, water pipes, toilets and waste management facilities respectively.
✮ When there is a lack of access to clean water, people are forced to drink from possibly, contaminated water sources and this may lead to diseases such as cholera.
✮ Lack of proper waste disposal results in pools of stagnant water which are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading to insect-borne diseases.
List out the strategies which solve housing shortage.
✮ Slum upgrading
✮ Public housing
Explain how slum upgrading helps to solve housing shortage. Weigh this strategy.
✮ Some cities try to improve slum conditions by upgrading housing and basic services such as water, electricity and sewerage
✮ The upgrading process involves temporary relocation of residents so basic infrastructure can be built.
✮ Financing schemes and assistance are provided to fund the projects.
✮ Self-help schemes can be rolled out to involve the participation of low-income households to improve the conditions of existing housing
✮ Instead of providing assistance directly, governments can provide construction materials or basic services for people to build themselves
✮ Construction costs are hence reduced
✮ However, the rate of construction will be slower as residents can only work on the houses during their free time (e.g. after work/weekends).
✮ Training also needs to be provided to equip residents with the skills to build their houses
Hence, slum upgrading will help to solve the problem of housing shortage as in the long run, living conditions will improve, especially with self-help schemes which relieves the financial burden on the government associated with upgrading infrastructure.
Explain how public housing solves housing shortage. Weigh this strategy.
✮ The government can provide affordable housing units with basic services for low-income households, the elderly and the disabled.
✮ Public housing is usually planned, carried out and funded by the government.
✮ Old flats can be rented at a low price
✮ Abandoned buildings can be converted for residential use
✮ New apartments can be built
All in all, provision of public housing helps to create more homes. This benefits the poor in the long run as they have a permanent place to stay, and the price they have to pay is low.
