1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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?

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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?

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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?

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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?

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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?

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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)