Sec 2 Housing

Which of these is not a comparison made in housing?

• Structure vs Building

• Temporary vs Permanent

• High-rise vs Low-rise

• Formal vs Informal

Which side of the picture shows formal housing?

• Left side

• Right Side

Based on the picture, choose the most appropriate explanation why the right side shows formal housing.

• The right side shows formal housing as there are infrastructure built to ensure basic services such as electricity and sanitation are provided.

• The right side shows formal housing as they are built with high-quality materials to withstand elements such as heavy rain and strong winds to protect the occupants.

• The right side shows formal housing as they are built in a neat and orderly manner, conforming to the authorities' guidelines and urban development process and plans.

• The right side shows formal housing as they have the legal rights to occupy the land, hence they are free to modify and use the land to their discretion.

What affects the location of informal housing?

• Informal housing occurs in areas that are often left available and undeveloped.

• Informal housing occurs in areas that are near industrial sites.

• Informal housing occurs in areas that are neglected and lacking infrastructure.

• Informal housing is affected by land prices as if land prices within the city are too high, informal housing is likely to be developed to accommodate population.

Where can we find formal housing?

• Locations of formal housing is affected by land-use planning and where the authorities have designed housing activities to take place.

• Formal housing can be found near greenery and amenities and supported by quality infrastructure such as roads and for basic services.

• Locations of formal housing is affected by private developers that develop property for profit and tend to pick sites that are commercially viable.

• Locations of formal housing is affected by governments as they choose land that meets people’s needs when developing a property.

Which of these is an environmental impact of humans' use of natural resources for housing?

• Land needs to be cleared to make space for the urban population as cities grow, resulting in the depletion of forests.

• More resources are needed to build homes and used for everyday needs such as for fuel and furniture.

• To obtain these resources, forests are being cleared, resources are extracted from the ground and water is obtained from surface sources.

• As the land is cleared for more space and more resources, there is a decrease in animal habitats that endangers animal species.

Define 'environmental pollution'.

• By concentrating people in a particular area, it concentrates waste products that lead to pollution of the environment.

• Introduction of substances that do not normally belong in the environment, which in great enough concentrations, can have harmful effects on plants, animals and humans.

• Introduction of substances that normally belong in the environment, which in great enough concentrations, can have harmful effects on plants, animals and humans.

• Pollution can range from soil contamination to long-term damage from garbage and industrial waste that makes it unsafe for building houses.

Define 'amenities'.

• Formal housing allows for access to basic services such as sanitation, water and electricity as infrastructure for these services are usually developed together with the housing projects.

• Amenities such as provisional services such as shops and medical services such as clinics are also provided as part of formal urban housing developments.

• Amenities are desirable features of a place as it makes life easier for its residents to obtain resources they need such as food, goods and services as well as medical attention.

• Formal urban housing meets residents’ social needs as they have spaces for social gatherings.

Define 'inclusive'.

• Inclusiveness ensures housing developments can cater to people of all ages and physical conditions.

• Inclusiveness promotes understanding and acceptance of each other’s differences.

• The HDB ensures there are amenities and facilities that cater to different needs such as having braille and tactile markings on lift control buttons.

• Inclusivity is a sense of belonging for the residents of the housing development as they make friends and seek companionship through community spaces.

Which of these are advantages or disadvantages of improvements to slum conditions?

• Governments realise it is more sustainable to enhance the living conditions of those living in these areas than to demolish them.

• These informal housing are still built on plots of land not intended for housing use. This might lead to problems in future city developments.

• Requires the coordination of many stakeholders, which is difficult to do in some countries where many different groups have many competing perspectives.

• Better access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation services increases health levels and reduces the threat of disease to the people living there.