Revisiting the urban housing crisis in Zimbabwe: Some forgotten dimensions?

The housing problem in Zimbabwe has become synonymous with housing shortages. The mismatch between housing supply and demand has for long been accepted as the housing problem. Virtually all policies and strategies aimed at alleviating the housing problem reflect this pre-occupation with numbers. The quantitative dimension has been taken so seriously by policy makers that policy and practical responses are aimed almost exclusively towards new construction. This paper re-examines the wider housing crisis in urban Zimbabwe. It looks at problems of obsolescence, overcrowding and other qualitative aspects. It concludes by cautioning that although some of these problems have to do with numbers, construction alone is not the complete solution.