International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE)

Date of Award

5-2017

Degree Type

Research Paper

Degree Name

Master of Arts in International Development and Social Change (IDSC)

Department

International Development, Community and Environment

Chief Instructor

Dr. Jude Fernando

Second Reader

Dr. Anita Fabos

Keywords

Haiti, Post-disaster housing, earthquake, temporary housing, temporary shelter

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of the post-disaster housing crisis in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake that left hundreds of thousands dead and millions homeless. Lack of strategic planning, and overpopulated areas contributed to the widespread devastation that is present in Haiti. Reviewing secondary data, and collecting primary data from a short trip to Haiti, has helped to establish all the issues that contributed to the housing crisis in Haiti. Housing design, location, accessibility, land rights, and affordability are the biggest challenges that people are still facing. Aid poured into the nation to help rebuild the broken infrastructure, though was not met with overall success. The government was unable to mobilize the aid and resources to pick up the pieces and work towards finding a housing solution for all of the people who are displaced. NGOs work to mobilize the resources they have, but are met with challenges of land rights, housing design, and lack of reconstruction knowledge. As different types of housing were being implemented, the lack of consistency among the government and NGOs led to money being misused, causing people to not have a durable housing solution. Nearly seven years later, thousands of people are still living in camps, with little resources and no sight of finding a more permanent solution.

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