MINISTRY OF LAND MANAGEMENT, URBAN PLANNING AND

CONSTRUCTION

COUNTRY REPORT

On Urban Housing in Cambodia

Prepare and Present by

Dr. OU VUDDY

Deputy General Director

Administration Map of Cambodia

Pousat

Kampong Cham

Preah Vihear

Kampong Thum

Otdar Mean Chey

Bat Dambang

Kaoh Kong

Siem Reab

Stueng Traeng

Mondol Kiri

Kracheh

Banteay Mean Chey

Rotanak Kiri

Kampong Spueu

Kampot

Kampong Chhnang

Prey Veaeng

Takaev

Kandal

Svay Rieng

Krong Preah Sihanouk

Krong Pailin

Phnom Penh

Krong KaebKrong Preah Sihanouk

Kaoh Kong

Pousat

Krong Preah SihanoukKrong Preah Sihanouk

Kampong ChhnangKampong Chhnang

Krong Preah SihanoukKrong Preah Sihanouk

Kampong Chhnang

Kaoh Kong

Krong Preah Sihanouk

Kaoh Kong

Krong KaebKrong Preah Sihanouk

Background• Housing is a serious problem in Cambodia,

particularly for the urban poor and requires urgent intervention.

• Housing directly affects people’s health, income and living conditions.

• The Royal Government of Cambodia has responsibility to ensure that people have access to adequate housing.

Housing conditions in Cambodia• In Phnom Penh and others towns, housing is still

inadequate in the city in both qualitative and quantitative terms

House quality Cambodia Phnom Penh

Abs % Abs %

Concrete

Wooden

Thatch

Total

566,379

401,053

1,022,396

1,989,828

28.5

20.2

51.3

100.0

63,336

57,194

27,947

148,477

42.7

38.5

18.8

100.0

Source: Census 1998

Housing conditions in Cambodia- Adequacy of housing:- Cambodia specifically requires an appropriate urban

housing policy, which is one of the key elements of good urban governance and will contribute to urban poverty reduction and land reform currently underway.

- RGC has responsibility to ensure that people have access to adequate housing and a housing policy is a tool to achieve this.

- MLMUPC has initiated the development of an Urban Housing Policy and has requested further assistance of the UN system to the preparatory process for such a policy.

Towards a Housing Policy(1) UN-ESCAP in consultation with MLMUPC and the municipality of

P.P held workshops to formulate a draft Urban Housing Strategy focusing on land tenure and decentralization.This prior activity has proposed the following immediate actions:

1- Establish an immediate type of land tenure:the temporary(5 year,renewable)occupancy right for squatters in selected settlements.

2- Identify as many as possible well-located (small)areas in the vicinity of the city where squatters can be resettled and newly formed low-income households can settle, and develop the areas with infrastructure and services.

3- Identify areas for middle-income housing development by the private sector as part of broad urban development planning, and develop areas with infrastructure and services.

Towards a Housing Policy(2)• The municipality of P.P.and MLMUPC are working closely with

the urban poor, NGOs and the international donors to create legal frameworks and pro-poor policies to broaden the scope and create opportunities for different types of tenure options for the poor.

1- Short-term temporary licenses for 2-5 years periods are being researched for piloting under a WB/UN-HABITAT/Cities Alliance project

2- Others tenure measures like longer-term community leases of vacant or unutilized state public land are also being explored within the context of the WB/GTZ/FINNIDA.

3- The SEILA project is strengthening decentralization through financial support, training and capacity building to commune council members, as well as municipal /provincial and khan/district staffs.

Draft of Housing Policy Guiding Principles

- Millennium Development Goals

- Poverty Reduction

- Good Urban Governance

- Secure Tenure

- Basic Infrastructure Requirement and Urban Planning

• The housing policy is being formulated to address the guiding principles outlined as: - the provision of secure land tenure and housing title - increasing the housing stock, primarily through private sector

investment, but recognizing the need for all sectors to contribute- providing greater access to housing finance for housing construction

and rehabilitation/renovation at affordable interest rates- poverty reduction by creating employment opportunities through

vocational training of electricians, plumbers, masons, carpenters, etc.in housing construction and rehabilitation

- decentralization of land use planning and housing programs to allow

municipalities to adjust and plan housing programs as part of a localized economic development strategy.

Draft Housing Policy Outline

Draft Housing Policy Outline(1)

• Introduction: Historical overview of the evolution of a formalized housing policy in Cambodia and quasi-ownership since 1979-2003

• Socio-political context: Description of programs/ activities in the land and housing sector, i.e.Government, UN, multi and bi-laterals, NGOs

- Land and Housing programs/ activities

- Organization chart

- Matrix of government entity and agency/ organization activities

Draft Housing Policy Outline(2)

Section 1- Reports Assessing Housing Stock and Deficiency including:

1- Housing stock (quality and quantity )and current housing and living conditions in Cambodia’s urban areas

2- General census and socio-economic surveys and any other relevant studies

3- Housing needs and priorities

Draft Housing Policy Outline(3)Section 2- Reports identifying Housing contextual

information/Issues/Problems including:1- Housing institutional set-up2- Legislative, organizational, policy(or lack of )and logistical

issues 3- Availability of land4- Availability of infrastructure5- Building materials and construction systems6- House architectural designs7- Labor: availability and skills8- Housing finance mechanisms9- Housing market analysis(owner and tenant occupied)

including supply and demand

Draft Housing Policy Outline(4)Section 3- Housing Demand Including:

1- Need for new housing as a result of increased population

2- The need to replace existing stock as a result of inappropriate/unsuitable housing assessed in the current stock

3- Need for additional housing as a result of current shortage

4- Needs related to expansions and improvement 5- Additional expansions aiming at achieving suitable

shelter (appropriate shelter)

Draft Housing Policy Outline(5)

Section 4- Evaluate Current Policy

a)- Evaluate current housing policy and analyse the causes of its successes and failures

b)- Understand the policies and strategies of other sectors that affect the provision of housing

Draft Housing Policy Outline(6)

• Section 5- Assess Current Legal Framework a)- Assessment of the current legal

framework and the degree to which it supports the implementation of the housing policy.b)- Proposing the types of changes necessary to create an environment that enables the achievement of the goals outlined above.

Draft Housing Policy Outline(6)

Section 6- Assess Institutional Framework

a)- Prepare an initial assessment of the current institutional set-up and its capacity to support the implementation of policy decisions.

Draft Housing Policy Outline(6)Section 7 – Identify Goals and Alternative Policiesa)- Assess the specific issues that should be addressed by

the government of Cambodiab)- Identify the problems s and obstacles that need to be

addressed and solve to facilitate the implementation of the housing policy

c)- Analyze alternative policies to identify the most suitable, the most culturally acceptable, and the most economical from the point of view of solving problems and overcoming obstacles

d)- Select the best alternative that would enable the Government to address the housing needs of all the income groups.

Draft Housing Policy Outline(6)•Section 8 – Assignment of roles and responsibilities Ministry: Legal and Regulation framework

Land tenure and other housing/land laws Housing finance legislationMunicipality: Land Use Planning and development strategy Municipality finance property assessments

Infrastructure provisionsDevelopment strategy

Private sector:Housing construction and building materialsEmployment opportunities Housing finance.

Thank You for your Attention

Website : www.mlmupc.gov.kh

See annex : The Vision of Housing Policy

GHK International

For Reference of Country Report

The Vision of Housing Policy in Cambodia

Ministry of Land Management Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC)

September, 2003

• The poor dump garbage and discharge wastewater, as they often do not have access to basic services including collection services.

*Given opportunities and provisions, they are able to collect garbage within communities and keep their settlements clean.

• As the poor often do not have secure tenure, they don’t feel ownership for their neighbourhood thus reducing incentives to keep their environment clean.

*With a little support and secure tenure, the poor are able to build their own lives and improve the living conditions

• The poor are not given fare opportunities to education and skills training.

Introduction

On the Railroad...

On the Roof Top...

In the Garbage..

On the Drains..

Daily Income & Expenditure - Example -

Income:Husband (43 yrs old) 3,000-4,000 Riel

Construction WorkerWife (39 yrs old) 2,000-3,000 Riel

Produce/sell cucumber pickles 6 ChildrenBamboo/Galvanized iron shelter (12m2)

Total Income 5,000 7,000 Riel =$1.30 - $1.80

Fire Wood

Cucumber

Food

Rice

Medicine

Expenditure:Food 1,800 Riel $ 0.47

30 %Rice (2kg) 2,000 Riel $ 0.52

34 %Firewood 200 Riel $ 0.05

3 %Cucumber 1,200 Riel $ 0.31

20 %Medicine 800 Riel $ 0.21

13.%Total Expenditure 6,000 Riel $ 1.56

US$ 1 = about 3,830 Riel

Problem No saving to for emergency due to the irregular income

GHK International

BarriersWater, Sanitation

Health / Education

prej

udic

e

Shelter

Training / Skills

Lack

of

polit

ical

will

(Partnership)

Job marketC

orruption

Lack of organisation

Governance

The Poor

Illeg

al

resi

denc

e

No training

Out of Vicious Cycle

Loss of House

Poverty

Disease/Disaster

Economic Activities

Stable Income / Better Living Condition

• Income Generation• Apprenticeship

Programme• Skills Development• Training / Education

Human Settlements Improvement by enhancing accessibility to basic services

• Water & Sanitation/Health• Secure Tenure• Savings / Credits (Urban Poor

Fund)• Footbridge, etc.

High-Interest Loan Interest 300%

No Indebtedness

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

Participatory Approach

SUPPORT

GHK International

Water, Sanitation

Health / Education

Training / Skills

(Partnership)

Job market

Government

The Poor

Access to…

Shelter

REMOVINGBarriers

On the Road side…

A New life

on the New Land...

Project Strategies• Self-reliance

• Empower Communities to help themselves

• Sustainability• Initiatives can continue without external support?

• Replication• Learn from Best Practices that have been successfully implemented

in other countries and build on these practices

• Participation/Partnership• Participatory Approach is essential to achieve

Self-reliance and Sustainability. Partnership Building

is time consuming but proved to be the best way

• Learning-by-doing• Solutions should be found internally not externally

based on based on trials and errors

Keys to the successful housing projects

Communities agree with the land provided

– close enough to the job market and secured tenure

Well-organized communities and supporting NGOs

Provision of low-cost housing loan

Enabling environment for the poor to help themselves

(technical assistance / removing procedural barriers etc.)

Clear indication as to where the poor can stay and where

they can not

Closer partnership with various stakeholders

Regularizing tenure – does not have to be a perfect solution

but to provide a sense of security

Keys to the successful upgrading Improved Governance

Capacity building of local governments (Poverty Unit and forum for dialogue with the poor) and NGOs Well-organised communities (federations) Land and Housing Policies

Increased Access to Basic ServicesUpgrading (in-situ development)Voluntary Relocation (sites and services)Security of Tenure Water and Sanitation, Access roadHealth

Economic DevelopmentEducation and skills training (apprenticeship)Savings and credit

Strategy to reach to the target groups in implementation (Social/public housing seldom reaches the intended)

Keys to a viable land and housing policies

Should be based on the doable programmes

– up-scaling best practices (lessons learnt -what has worked?)

– Cost-recovery

Strong links with private sector and land market (Avoid incident of speculations!!)

Provision of flexible housing finance schemes

National macro policy vs. municipal level bi-laws / regulations

Secure Tenure (Regularization)

Political will/support