Shelter and reconstruction options 109 Shelter and reconstruction options This session identifies the six transitional reconstruction options, and explore their advantages and disadvantages India, 2001

Session objectives ! The key learning objectives are to form an understanding of: The six transitional reconstruction options available for housing occupancy The advantages and disadvantages of tenants and owner-occupiers Changing occupancy after reconstruction

Session objectives ! The key learning objectives are to form an understanding of: The six transitional reconstruction options available for housing occupancy The advantages and disadvantages of tenants and owner-occupiers Changing occupancy after reconstruction

Worldwide urban housing, ownership and tenure percentages in 1998: Housing distribution Rental Housing: an Essential Option for the Urban Poor in Developing Countries (UN-Habitat, 2003) Worldwide urban housing, ownership and tenure percentages in 1998: Owner Tenant Squatter Other World 42 34 19 5 The proportion of owner-occupiers to tenants varies greatly between different cultures, countries and localities, and between rural and urban areas The type of land ownership of the beneficiary, as defined by the transitional reconstruction options, will radically alter the response strategy It has been estimated that half of the world population is urban. CHANGE DIAG

Six transitional reconstruction options 110 Six transitional reconstruction options Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008) Occupancy with no legal status House tenant Apartment tenant Land tenant Apartment owner-occupier CHANGE DIAG House owner-occupier

Occupancy with no legal status 115 Occupancy with no legal status Occupancy with no legal status Occupancy with no legal status: the occupant lives on land or in property without the explicit permission of the owner Advantages of occupancy with no legal status include: potential for beneficiary involvement in strategic planning and construction providing that land rights are established, any transitional shelter or reconstruction may be able to occur on-site, keeping the affected population near their livelihoods Timor Leste, 2006

Occupancy with no legal status Operations for support to occupants with no legal status include: work with displaced community and local governments to formalise their status identifying and supporting existing local initiatives and mechanisms supporting the upgrading of informal settlements if displaced, advocating rights during evacuation and displacement, as well as housing rights upon return supporting governments allocating appropriate housing elsewhere, if necessary, recognising and securing rights Timor Leste, 2006

Occupants with no legal status Discussion w/ facilitator A show of hands: Who has worked in an operation involving occupants with no legal status? Who has supported an operation involving occupants with no legal status?

117 House tenant House tenant the occupant rents their house and land Advantages of the house tenant option include: it is easier for the affected family to relocate, if they choose to if the landlord agrees and the site is safe, transitional settlement may be supported on the existing site, keeping the affected family close to their livelihood Afghanistan, 2004

House tenant: operations Operations for effective house tenant option support include: arranging periods of rent-free settlement mechanisms against forced eviction financial disbursement assist tenants to become property owners Afghanistan, 2004

Experience with house tenants Discussion w/ facilitator A show of hands: Who has worked in a reconstruction operation involving house tenants? Who has supported a reconstruction operation involving house tenants?

119 Apartment tenant Apartment tenant the occupant rents their apartment Advantages of the apartment tenant option include: flooding will have less affect on apartment buildings than on individual houses if only some apartments are damaged, affected families may be able to find transitional settlement in other apartments Turkey, 1999

Apartment tenant: operations Operations for effective apartment tenant support includes: arranging periods of rent-free settlement supporting the rebuilding or repairing of apartment blocks, undertaken by governments with support of aid organisations programmes for rebuilding or repairing that spread responsibilities, capacities and costs, for example insurance, compensation payments, tax deductions, materials, technical advice, pre-paid or guaranteed rents and credit extensions mechanisms against forced eviction financial disbursement Turkey, 1999

Experience with apartment tenants Discussion w/ facilitator A show of hands: Who has worked in a reconstruction operation involving apartment tenants? Who has supported a reconstruction operation involving apartment tenants?

121 Land tenant Land tenant Land tenant: the occupier owns their house, but rents the land Advantages of the land tenant option include: if the relationship with the land owner is formalised there are established support options for house reconstruction Sri Lanka, 2003

Land tenant: operations Operations for effective land tenant support include: support not only the rebuilding of houses, but also, depending on needs, supporting payment of rent to allow the tenant time for livelihood recovery support security of tenancy and mechanisms against forced eviction financial disbursement Sri Lanka, 2003

Experience with land tenants Discussion w/ facilitator A show of hands: Who has worked in an operation involving land tenants? Who has supported an operation involving land tenants?

Apartment owner-occupier 122 Apartment owner-occupier Apartment owner-occupier Apartment owner-occupier: the occupier owns their apartment Advantages of the apartment owner occupier include: some hazards may result in damage that still allows safe habitation of some apartments, or parts of apartments families in undamaged apartments may be able to offer transitional settlement to displaced families, keeping the affected population near their livelihoods India, 2001 OPTIONS: RURAL SELF-SETTLED

Apartment owner-occupier: operations Operations for support to apartment owner-occupiers include: involve the apartment occupiers collectively in strategic planning and construction identify and support transitional settlement options for the duration of reconstruction working with affected community and local governments to identify pre-disaster land ownership and housing rights supporting affected communities with information and advice on how to claim restitution, in full cooperation with government India, 2001 OPTIONS: RURAL SELF-SETTLED

Apartment owner-occupiers Discussion w/ facilitator A show of hands: Who has worked in an operation involving apartment owner-occupiers? Who has supported an operation involving apartment owner-occupiers?

124 House owner-occupier House owner-occupier the occupants owns their house and land Advantages of the house owner occupier include: high level of beneficiary involvement and control transitional shelter may be able to occur on-site, keeping the affected population near their livelihoods the needs of each family are easier to identify and quantify it is easier to quantify the appropriate level of restitution some hazards may result in damage that still allows safe habitation of some houses, or parts of houses there is an established legal framework of support there are established methods of funding and support including phased materials drops and financial disbursement Indonesia, 2007 OPTIONS: HOST

House owner-occupier: operations Operations for effective house owner-occupier support include: working with affected community and local governments to identify pre-disaster land ownership and housing rights involve the affected population and other stakeholders such as insurance companies in strategic planning and construction support house owners to manage risks better and maintain and protect their houses, also offer training supporting affected communities with information and advice on how to claim restitution, in full cooperation with government supporting, establishing or salvaging government cadastral or other appropriate systems for the registration of housing, land and property rights Indonesia, 2007 OPTIONS: HOST

House owner-occupiers Discussion w/ facilitator A show of hands: Who has worked in a operation involving house owner-occupiers? Who has supported an operation involving house owner-occupiers?

Session objectives ! The key learning objectives are to form an understanding of: The six transitional reconstruction options available for housing occupancy The advantages and disadvantages of tenants and owner-occupiers Changing occupancy after reconstruction

Six transitional reconstruction options The six transitional reconstruction options are classified as either tenants or owner-occupiers: Occupancy with no legal status House tenant tenants Apartment tenant Land tenant CHANGE DIAG Apartment owner-occupier owner-occupiers House owner-occupier

113 Tenant advantages Advantages for tenants when rebuilding their livelihoods and housing following disaster and conflict: no damage to financial assets, other than personal possessions it is easier for the affected family to relocate, if they choose to, however options for local relocation may be constrained by lack of available rental properties and an unwillingness or inability of landlords to rebuild or reinvest no continued debt from mortgage companies, however there may be debts from loan agreements, such as for furniture less impact from any requirement for reinsurance, however there may be difficulties over any reinsurance of possessions CHANGE DIAG

Owner-occupier advantages 113 Owner-occupier advantages Advantages for owner-occupiers when reconstructing their livelihoods and housing following disaster or conflict: the needs of each family are easier to identify and quantify additional records of land tenure and property deeds often held by authorities there is usually an established legal framework over rights there are established methods of support land and property are potential assets against financial loans, however there may be continued debt from mortgages potential insurance payments, although difficulties may be found in reinsurance and therefore access to credit CHANGE DIAG

Session objectives ! The key learning objectives are to form an understanding of: The six transitional reconstruction options available for housing occupancy The advantages and disadvantages of tenants and owner-occupiers Changing occupancy after reconstruction

Changing occupancy after reconstruction Affected households may choose a reconstruction option that is different from their pre-disaster occupancy type; for example: Apartment tenant Storm Storm damage Host family Home owner-occupier Their priorities change as they respond to the risk. Reasons for choosing different options may include the following: availability of appropriate housing stock land rights issues landlord is unable to rebuild hazard risk mitigation access to credit or assistance

Bibliography Rental Housing: an Essential Option for the Urban Poor in Developing Countries (UN-Habitat, (2003) Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008)