Factors Influencing Ownership Of Modern Houses Among Households In Iringa District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Poor construction with temporary material exposes families to all kinds of health and safety risks, especially from ticks and insects concealed in unfinished mud walls and earthen floors, vermin and snakes in thatch, parasite seeking human host and malarial mosquitoes entering through unscreened windows and doorway. This study was conducted to identify factors influencing the ownership of modern houses among households in Iringa District. Specifically, the study examined the major factors and materials used in constructing modern houses, identified the time in which the households used to accomplish the construction of modern houses. The study involved 70 respondents and 10 key informants from government institutions in Iringa District. Purposeful sampling was used to identify households owning modern houses. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, interview schedules and personal observations. In addition, secondary data from several sources were collected. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentage and mean were determined. Qualitative data from personal observations and key informant interviews were summarized and reported. Also linear simple regression model was used to analyse data, particularly in determining major factors influencing rural household’s ownership of a modern house. Findings from the study show that majority of modern houses were constructed using burnt bricks (68.5 %) and un-burnt brick (21.4 %). It was noted that factors like income, education, types of occupation, family size, cultural believes, land ownership, and prices of materials had a significant influence on the ownership of modern houses. It was also found that materials used in the construction of houses were locally available in the study area. On the basis of the study findings, it is recommended that the task of constructing modern houses in rural and urban areas should be carried in such a way government provides loan with low interest and trains more masons by using VETA in order to smoothen the construction of modern house.