Recovery after floods: A Case of Rental Housing Business in Keko Machungwa Informal Settlement, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

In unplanned settlements, it is common for people to use their homes as a source of income. As revealed by this study, the main income generating activity is “Rental housing”. At the same time most of the unplanned settlements are located in risk sites (flood prone areas notably along river banks). This indicates that houses and the environment in unplanned settlements are vulnerable during floods. Therefore, understanding how rental housing business in unplanned settlements is affected by flooding and the factors that influence their recovery is crucial in formulating strategies for disaster risk reduction. This is the main focus of this paper. Findings show that, absence of flood control infrastructure, inaccessibility during floods, dampness and water logging inside the houses are the main factors affecting rental housing in Keko Machungwa unplanned settlement. Desertion by tenants, renting at a price below the market rate and stopping house renting business, are the main factors reported to undermine the rental housing business. The main factors that had significant contribution to the recovery of rental housing business included: number of rooms available for renting, alternative income generating activities, ownership and water logging and dampness. To enhance recovery of house renting business, the findings suggest the following measures to be taken: Conduct vulnerability assessment; settlement upgrading and regularization; Emergency response plans need to include business recovery; enhance individual financial capability through diversification of the sources of income and enhance an early warning system.