Contribution of social housing to the socio-economic development policy of Mali

Abstract

Urbanization has created a housing crisis in urban centers. Land speculation and the resulting rent increases prevent low-income people from owning real estate. In order to overcome this problem, the Malian state has put in place a policy facilitating access to housing for the less well-off. The present research aims to identify the contribution of this strategy in the socio-economic development policy of Mali. To better understand our research subject, we opted for a purely qualitative methodology through semi-structured interviews administered to forty (40) beneficiaries and eight (8) resource persons. The results of the study reveal that access to real estate property as well as to the healthy environment of social housing improves the social and economic conditions of its beneficiaries. Social housing is equipped with electrical, hydraulic, school and health facilities. The works and installation costs of these public and personal infrastructures are insured by the state. On the other hand, the inhabitants of the new cities make the formalities with the services in charge of water, electricity... for the installations of these infrastructures at their own expense. The family living environment of these dwellings, unlike the dwellings grouping together several families from different cultures, maintains privacy and also ensures the exercise of parental authority.