Impact of Urbanization On Housing Conditions in Uganda: A Case Study of Mbale Municipality, Mbale District

ABSTRACT The study investigated the consequences of rapid urbanization on housing conditions in Mbale municipality. The study objectives included to examine factors behind urbanization growth in Mbale municipality environment, to establish the effect of the growth of urbanization on housing conditions in Mbale Municipality and to establish the strategies put in place by the government and other stakeholders to ensure adequate housing.The study adopted a descriptive research design was used to describe the contribution of urbanization on housing conditions how the program is being managed to ensure that it can be able to bring out the best results. The data was collected using the research questionnaires from the field on 80 respondents. These was collected using the research questionnaires from the field. The study findings reveal that the factors behind urbanization growth in Mbale municipality environment. The research findings provided that majority responses were that there Strategic business growth centre accounted for much urbanization, development of industrial and service oriented enterprises, high population growth, rural urban migration and the need to seek for better living conditions. The study findings reveal that the mechanisms for the study reveal that 25% agreement on positive effect of urbanization on housing conditions, while 58.78% disagreed with the notion while those that were not sure had 13 (16.25%) of the respondents. The study findings on the effect of the growth of urbanization on housing conditions in Mbale municipality. The results reveal that the urbanization has lead to Poor sanitation in the housing conditions of the people in Mbale Municipality, Growth of informal settlements while High cost of land and housing rent and Housing shortage and Poor state of housing existence and the government and other stakeholders to ensure adequate housing. The study conclude that the factors behind urbanization growth, to establish the effect of the growth of urbanization on housing conditions and establish the strategies put in place by the government and other stakeholders to ensure adequate housing. The study findings reveal that several factors account for rapid urbanization the study conclude that the strategic business growth centre accounted for much urbanization, development of industrial and service oriented enterprises, attraction of service providers in town and high population growth, the study hence conclude that there is need for focusing on negative aspects of urbanization factors. On the second research objective, the researcher conclude that the urbanization has had a low effect on the housing projects. On the third research objective the study conclude that little interventions are in place to improve the urbanization and housing conditions, the study further conclude that there is need to improve the state of the housing conditions. The researcher suggest that there is need to redress the negative effects of urbanization on access to adequate housing at the same time encourage! promote the agglomeration benefits of urbanization. The researcher further recommends the implementation of favorable land, county land policy and land act should be put in place to address the issue of family selling the only family land thereby remaining landless. County housing policy and housing act should be in place to address the emerging issue of female headed households to end the discrimination they undergo when intending to rent or purchase a residential house.