A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
What comes first in sheltering needs? patterns of Colonias housing production
The communities along the US - Mexico border, although known for their isolation, poverty, and cultural homogeneity, have managed to provide a decent, affordable solution to the housing crisis in this region through self-build housing production. These communities are called Colonias, and were identified as peri-urban homesteads because of their location on the fringes of major cities. On the Texas southern border, Colonias have experienced explosive growth since the 1950s, particularly during the first half of the 1990s. Most borderlands are dominated by one ethnic and racial group; Hispanics are estimated to make up more than 95% of the population at the Texas southern border. For most, home ownership and better job opportunities provide the primary motive for moving to the borderlands. Affordability of land acquisition and convenient, yet often clouded, deeds make this goal feasible. This study explores housing production means in the Texas-Mexico border’s Colonias scattered around the fringes of the city of Laredo, with an emphasis on incremental stages of progress in construction. The study investigated the residents’ approach to self-build housing construction, the chronological phases, and the patterns of household preferences for prioritizing the spaces considered at each phase. The study utilized review of relevant literature, and empirical data gathered through surveys of residents of Webb County’s Colonias in Texas. Questionnaires were distributed during two community meetings in Rio Bravo and Los Altos. From the study, conclusion regarding a housing model identifying the patterns of housing production was achieved. The study also addressed the fact that two-thirds of the housing was incrementally constructed through short-term and long-term periods, and provided policy recommendations for housing financing. In addition, the study emphasised that the majority of residents built one or two spaces as an initial “core house,” and employed further phases of construction throughout the years until completion.
What comes first in sheltering needs? patterns of Colonias housing production
The communities along the US - Mexico border, although known for their isolation, poverty, and cultural homogeneity, have managed to provide a decent, affordable solution to the housing crisis in this region through self-build housing production. These communities are called Colonias, and were identified as peri-urban homesteads because of their location on the fringes of major cities. On the Texas southern border, Colonias have experienced explosive growth since the 1950s, particularly during the first half of the 1990s. Most borderlands are dominated by one ethnic and racial group; Hispanics are estimated to make up more than 95% of the population at the Texas southern border. For most, home ownership and better job opportunities provide the primary motive for moving to the borderlands. Affordability of land acquisition and convenient, yet often clouded, deeds make this goal feasible. This study explores housing production means in the Texas-Mexico border’s Colonias scattered around the fringes of the city of Laredo, with an emphasis on incremental stages of progress in construction. The study investigated the residents’ approach to self-build housing construction, the chronological phases, and the patterns of household preferences for prioritizing the spaces considered at each phase. The study utilized review of relevant literature, and empirical data gathered through surveys of residents of Webb County’s Colonias in Texas. Questionnaires were distributed during two community meetings in Rio Bravo and Los Altos. From the study, conclusion regarding a housing model identifying the patterns of housing production was achieved. The study also addressed the fact that two-thirds of the housing was incrementally constructed through short-term and long-term periods, and provided policy recommendations for housing financing. In addition, the study emphasised that the majority of residents built one or two spaces as an initial “core house,” and employed further phases of construction throughout the years until completion.
What comes first in sheltering needs? patterns of Colonias housing production
Kamal, Azza M. (author)
2018-09-25
ARCC Conference Repository; 2009: Leadership in Architectural Research, Between Academia and the Profession | UTSA 2009
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
DDC:
720
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