LOW INCOME SHELTER STRATEGIES IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA. SOLUTIONS OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR BY RUTH MCLEOD CONSTRUCTION RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE Prepared under contracts 532-1001-3-70010 & 532-1001-3-70105 for the Regional Housing and Urban Development Office, U.S.A.I.D., Kingston, Jamaica. December 1987. SISTER W "And yLh know mi son, I have lived ere for a very long time and I see plenty of who you call squat;ter. A tell yuh soometin bout de squatter. Yuh know, yuh look'out dor an yuh see a man carrying a piece of old board and yuh say to yuthself, what im gwan do wid that? But, mi bwoy, him have use fi it. Next day yuh see im wid a piece of cardboard an a piece of 2inc and yuh wonder again, what im gwan do wid dem dey? Ah wanda if fowl coop? im gwan mek a But mison, a few weeks later when yuh walkin down the road yuh see do same man and about two, four, six children and im wife sittin in a yard around a big pot on de fire. De pieces of old board, cardboad and zinc dem use fi mek a room and everybody look happy. Mi son,, der is nuttin like a roof over yuh head. And yuh know whhat is surprising me bwoy is dat twenty years later yuh sie somebody come up to yuh gate and se5h Hello Sister White. An triesay is who dat? And person de seh is mi Joan who use to live dcwn the road. So mi wi seh, where yuh living now Joan? Ii living in Gardens now yuh know. And so it goeG on and on mi bwoy." .pg CONTENTS Chapter Page No. INTRODUCTION .... ....................................... 1 I FINDINGS AND SUMMARY .................................. 2 II METHODOLOGY............................................ 9 III HOUSEHOLDS AND OCCUPATION ............................. 26" IV MOBILITY, DENSITY AND LOCATION ........................ 34 V TENURE................................................ 47 VI THE DWELLING .......................................... 64 VII THE BUILDING PROCESS .................................. 77 VIII PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ............................... 108 IX SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE ................................. 118 X EXPENDITURE ........................................... 122 XI SAVINGS AND LOANS ..................................... 133 XII DISLIKES AND PREFERENCES .............................. 146 APPENDIX .............................................. 152 BIBLIOGRAPHY...........................................170 rhe original mobile home THE CONSTRUCTION RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE TEAM The Construction Resource and Development Centre Team was composed of the following individuals. Ruth Mcleod - Executive Director, coordinated the project and authored the final report. Eleanor Wint - Consultant, coordinated the large survey and the data Janice Perlman processing. - External Consultant, acted as our technical 'advisor particularly in the area of methodology and instrument design. Daid Barker - Consultant, assisted in co-ordination Stephen of the case studies. Hodges - Engineer, acted as out technical advisor building with respect to materials and processes in particular and doubled as systems manager.. Ann Hodges - Architect, did the site plans. Hopeton Peterson - Research Assistant, was an interviewer did background research and accepted the responsibility for graphics. Mesana Desouza - Research Assistant, worked Carmen.Griffiths on creait systems. - Administrator, handled the finances. Stuart King - Computer programmer. D. Duncan - Data entry. Charlene James - Secretary, did a lot of typing. Donald Young - Delivered all our messages and kept the copier working. CASE STUDY INTERVIEWERS SURVEY INTERVIEWERS Oneil CODERS Gardner Viviene Bernard Keith Helen Gardner Gordon Sonia Blake Joel Downer Fitzroy Williams Mary Campbell Glen Tonette Hart Millin Vincent Campbell Caren Derrick Gayle Downer Wayne Cranston Dexter Williams Hopeton Peterson Eric Douglas Nadeen Campbell Claudette Grant Emmerson Ebanks Karlene Black Sharon Wright Sonia Ebanks Errol 5ircoln'Tay61:. Evans Donovan Embden Janet Marilyn Fagin Taylor Avis Gordon Karen Roberts Devon Hutson Daliah Gillings Denva Jackson Vierous McIntosh Darcy Maxwell Aeon Miller Kenrick Osbourne Derrick Taylor Michael Reid Janet Rush INTRODUCTION During 1987 the Construction Resource and extensive research on the Development Centre carried out dynamics of informal shelter development low income population of Kingston, among the were Several different methods of used. Totally unstructured interviews investigation the builders were held with eltire who worked with them. Structured households and household heads interviews were held in order to build up in depth with survival strategies of different case studies of the shelter major households over extended periods survey of 677 low income households of time. A and additional research in the Kingston area was implemented was carried out at the community to determine .he and settlement levels range and form of saving and loan are available to the low income mechanisms that system. population outside of the formal This document constitutes an attempt financial findings of these to summarise the accumulated efforts to date in a form that, useful to those working it is hoped, will be In at both the policy and implementation many ways the report itself constitutes levels. is neither a beginning rather than totally comprehensive nor totally an end as it it will prove conclusive. We trust however, as illuminating to others as its that extend our gratitude production has been for us and to the staff of RHUDO, USAID Kingston, backing the project without whose would have remained a dream. In particular we would like to acknowledge Sara Frankel, RHUDO's senior the major role that the late She officer, played in the development encouraged its development, supported of this work. critical and challenging its implementation and provided input that acted as an important a who worked on it. Our major regret catalyst to the team is that she will not be here to in the future. work with us SUMMARY AND MAJOR FINDINGS Kingston, like most other cities has developed Some of this development has been over many years,in stages. and formal in that it has occurred financial framework that is considered within a legal it has been legitimate by the society. informal and has occurred without Much of authorities, without any formal any preplanning by public sector or no approval from these authorities assistance from any of the formal and with little of development financial institutions. These have been spearheaded by different two forms One form has resulted groups within the society. from the enterprise of the have traditionally been the middle and upper classes who main land owners, and the other the creative survival and development has resulted from extremely activities of the poor limited access to land and who have had land within the thj resources that are required formal legislative system. For to develop refer to the the sake of convenience we can former as FORMAL development and development. The story of the latter as INFORMAL illustrates the development of Greenwich Town the manner in which formal that follows and informal development processes often been interwoven. have 2 THE STORY OF GREENWICH TOWN Greenwich ---------------------------- Town is a relatively old part of area Kingston. It is located in an of Kingston referred to as "down-town". established as a settlement Greenwich Town was initially around the turn of the century by small group of fishermen who settled a relatively (which in sail cloth tents near to has since become Marcus Garvey Drive) the beach excellent fishing in order to take advantage of th in the harbour . The fish were already sold in the markets which ha been established in the core In order to provide area of Kingston. more effective access for the higglers their fish the fisherman built the who purchased known-as first road in that area which later East Avenue. They did it with became carried marl the help of the charcoal sellers to the site using their carts and who replaced their sail tents drays. The fishermen gradually with "tatoos" made of wattle and thatch palm that grew in the daub and roofed wi" joined mangrove swamps nearby. Soon the.fighermen by rural migrants who had come were new migrants to the city in search of a living. left the rented tatoos nearby The beach area the markets , came to the developii and began to build their own tatoos and establish borders to the plots of land that they settled. In time the Government intervened out either side and surveyed the area that spread of the new road. Plots were legally early occupants if they established and sold t6 tl had the resources to buy them or the area. It was not long to buyers from outsic the before the relatively new middle merchants moved in, and brick and classes'and many of concrete nog houses were constructed the newly established plots. Those on either who could not afford to buy plots rented or moved on again seeking Over the years other land to capture. the settlement grew steadily. However middle class soon established sufficient the upwardly mobile of land and more resources to contemplate larger substantial houses in areas of plots desirable. They gradually Kingston that were seen as mor moved out, many of them renting Town homes to less fortunate households. out their Greenwhich much Gradually the area began higher density levels. Two families to experienc additional lived in a house instead of units were erected on a plot that one or single dwelling. had initially only supported a These additional units were rented Gradually the