By the end of this post, the reader should be able to:
· Explain the concept of Housing.
· Describe types of houses and how they influence the lives of people.
· Describe factors that influence a house choice.
House, Home, Housing
Choosing a place to live is a very big decision and
requires careful planning. A house comes in many shapes and sizes, but the
atmosphere inside is what makes a house, a home.
A house
It is the structure built to provide shelter for people. A house offers protection against the weather, and external dangers. OR
A house is a shelter with a roof and four walls to protect you from the weather. It gives the family and its members physical protection and emotional security. The house becomes a home when you live in it, enjoy it, and make the best of it.
A house may be built on land, on water or in a boat.
It may also be a hut in a village or an impressive building in the city.
Home
It is a place or environment in which people
share space and household items and live in comfort and satisfaction.
Housing
Is a house, its environment or the community
in which it is and the facilities/amenities available that help with the
well-being of the people in the area.
Housing deals with the house of the individual and its
relationship with others, the neighborhood and the community. Housing thus
provides amenities which individuals homes cannot provide for themselves eg.
School, hospital, roads, police station, markets, etc.
Good housing, therefore involves the provision of high
standard of houses and appropriate amenities in the environment which will
enhance the lives of the residents and meet most of their needs.
Types Of Houses In West Africa
Rural/Urban Houses
Rural houses: Mainly
courtyard or compound houses. Houses in the rural areas are built to suit the
lifestyle and the activities of the extended family. The house is seen as a
place for physical protection and emotional security.
The houses are built using mud and wattle for its walls and roofed will thatch or woven grasses. Designs are simple and may not follow any building code. The basic unit is added on from time to time.
These days, some rural houses are built with modern
materials and are specifically designed to suit the owner's taste. These are
normally built with cement blocks and roofed with aluminum roofing sheets and
are often built by people who have lived outside the village and have acquired
some money.
Urban Houses
These are usually well planned. There are regulations
governing the design and type of house that can be built in certain areas. They
are also required to meet certain standards e.g., Ventilation, sizes of rooms,
number of windows and appropriate drainage. They are mostly designed by
architects or draughts men. These houses may provide facilities such as
toilets, baths, and a kitchen in addition to bedrooms.
In
Urban Housing
(i) A wide range of materials are used in building
urban houses. Some of these materials include cement, tiles, glasses, sinks,
aluminium roofing sheets, timber boards, etc.
(ii) Designs vary. Different designs are used in
constructing houses in the urban areas.
(iii) Follow building codes which govern materials,
designs and construction. Standards and regulations governing the design and
type of houses must be followed or adhered to.
(iv) Urban houses may have amenities such as
electricity, pipe borne water, toilet
House Designs (Or Types of Houses)
(a) Courtyard
(b) Detached
(c) Semi-detached
(d) Row terraced houses
(e) Storey building
(f) Block of flats or apartments
(g) Bungalow
(a) Courtyard or Compound House
These are found in both rural and urban communities.
They are found in the older parts of big towns and cities. All the rooms are
arranged around a central rectangle or a square area which forms the courtyard.
The courtyard is the main area for most activities e.g. cooking, washing,
cleaning and receiving guest. Toilet facilities, bath rooms or the kitchen may
be separated from the rest of the rooms and are usually shared. They have many
rooms and may accommodate different families or households.
Disadvantages of Living in a Compound House
(i) The environment may be noisy
(ii) They may not have enough space for storage and
outdoor activities e.g., space for children to play.
(iii) Co-tenants/families may share space and other
facilities e.g., kitchen, toilet, etc
(iv) There is lack of privacy.
(v) Children are exposed to bad and undesirable habits
from their friends/ peers.
(vi) Stealing in compound houses may be rampant
(vii) Facilities may be inadequate for the number of
tenants.
(b) Detached or Bungalow House (Self Contained)
They are simple family houses which usually house or
accommodate one family and can be one, two or three storey buildings. All the
rooms lead to one another, they do not have courtyard but sometimes the rooms
may lead to another space (a yard) which may be enclosed by a wall or fence.
The storey buildings will have some rooms on the ground floor and the rest on
the upper storey. Does not share a partition wall with another building and
most activities are done within the building
Advantages of Self Contained
(i) They
offer more privacy than other types of housing.
(ii) They
can be built or selected to meet the needs of the family.
(iii) No
quarrels with co-tenants.
(iv) There
is space for children to play.
(c) Semi-Detached Houses
These are very similar to the detached houses except
that in semi-detached houses, two self-contained houses are joined together by
a common wall. Each has its own entrance and the houses have similar number of rooms
as well as facilities. They can be single storey or two storey. They are common
in the housing estates of our cities and big towns.
(d) Flats or Apartments or Multi storey
These are multi-storey flats found in our cities or
urban areas. They are built to provide accommodation for many people on a
limited or small piece of land. The design ensures that all facilities - bed
rooms, sitting room, bathroom, toilet facilities and the kitchen are on each
floor. There are usually two or more storeys with two or more flats or housing
units on each floor. Each flat has its own entrance which ensures privacy.
Unlike the detached house, those living in flats cannot expand their space when
there is a need. Another disadvantage of living in an apartment building is
that none of the residents is prepared to take responsibility for cleaning
shared areas such as corridors and stairways. The buildings are often expensive
e.g., SSNIT Flats.
Advantages of Flat/Apartments/MuIti Storey
(i) Less lands used as compared to single family
building
(ii) They are often more affordable
(iii) They could be more readily available than the single-family housing.
Disadvantages of Flat/Apartment/MuIti Fence
(i) The environment may be noisy
(ii) They may not have enough space for storage and
outdoor activities e.g., space for children to play.
(iii) Co-tenants/families may share space and other
facilities e.g., kitchen, toilet, etc.
(iv) There is lack of privacy.
(v) Children are exposed to bad and undesirable habits
from their friends.
(vi) Stealing in flat or apartment houses may be
rampant.
(vii) Facilities may be inadequate for the number of
tenants.
e) Prefabricated Houses
Unlike the traditional forms of housing, prefabricated
houses are named according to the type of construction used rather than the
design. The individual parts of the house like the walls, floors, parts of the
roof partitioning, are imported or made in a factory. The parts are assembled
on the building site on an already prepared foundation.
f) Row/ Terrace Houses
These are a row of houses joined together. These are
very common in the police barracks. They sometimes consist of several rooms
sharing common veranda and other facilities.
g) Factors that Influence House Choice/ Factors affecting the choice of a house
i . Economic factors: The type of housing a
family builds or chooses depends on the economic status of the family. This
means the money available to the family. The high-income family with more money
can build big houses, while low-income families can afford smaller or
multi-family houses.
ii. Location of the house (site): The family
should choose location that is near or easily. accessible to
(i) family members' school
(ii) places of work
(iii) shopping centre, etc.
The location must be safe in terms of health and
property.
iii. Size of the family: A large family will
require a larger house than a smaller family.
iv. Family life cycle: Every family goes
through a cycle. At the beginning stage the family needs a smaller house, at
the expanding stage they need a bigger house but at the contracting, stage,
they need a small house.
v. Special needs of family members: Some family
members may have special needs that will make living in a type of house
difficult. For instance, a person with some leg injury might have to live in a
bungalow and not high-rise building.
vi. Design of the house: This is the plan or
layout of the house. This must suit the family.
vii. Ventilation and lighting: The house should
be properly ventilated and have good light. These are important for good
health.
viii. Lifestyle of family: This includes the
interests and activities of family members. It includes how people live their
lives and those things they enjoy doing.
(ix) Neighborhood: People may want a neighborhood
where the people have similar values, economic status, lifestyle, taste and
have good standard of sanitation and cleanliness.
Functions of a House
(i) A house provides physical protection for its
occupants. It protects them against hazards of the weather such as rain, wind,
storm, heat from the sun and against external intruders such as wild animals
and thieves.
(ii) A house also provides its occupants privacy and
space for physical necessities of life.
(iii) A house provides members of a family a place to
relax and enjoy the company and love of family members.
SSCE/
WASSCE PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
1. What is the difference between house and housing
Answer
A house is a shelter with a roof and four walls to
protect people from the weather.
OR It is the structure built to provide shelter for
people.
Housing is a house, its environment or the community
in which it is and the facilities or amenities available that help with the
well-being of the people in the area.
Or housing deals with the house of the individual and
its relationship with -others, the neighborhood and the community.
2.a) Describe four different ways through which a
person can acquire a house
(i) Renting a house: Renting a house involves
living in a house owned by someone and making payment for that.
(ii) Buying a house: A house may be purchased
from an individual or an institution that is a developer. It may be newly built
or an old house.
(iii) Building a house: An alternative to
buying a house is building one's own house. Building a house could be more
expensive depending on the design.
(iv) Inheritance: Someone can own a house
through inheritance that is inheriting the house of their parents or close
relatives when they die.
(v) A gift or award: An individual may own a
house by virtue of a relative or friend giving it to him as a gift or may be
honored by the government or an organization for making tremendous contribution
to the country or organization or through raffle e.g., best teacher, best farmer,
etc.
2.(b) Identify four factors that will influence your
choice of an already built house.
(i) Cost or price or money.
(ii) Location (site) of the house.
(iii) Facilities around the house e.g., roads,
hospitals, market etc.
(iv) Size of the family.
(v) Neighborhood.
(vi) Facilities in the house e.g., bedrooms, kitchen,
toilets, bathroom, etc.
(vii) Availability of utilities e.g., electricity,
water, etc.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
1. Explain the following terms or concepts
a) Housing
b) House
c) Home
2. Identify and describe the different types of houses
and how they influence the lives of people who reside in them.
3. Identify and explain five factors which influence
'the location and choice of a house
4. Mention six disadvantages of living in a compound
house. (November. 2006)
5. State FOUR advantages of both
flats/apartments and a detached house.
6. State three characteristics of each of the
following
(i) A compound house
(ii) A detached house (November 2006)
7. (a) Explain the term housing.
(b) List eight amenities that should be available in a
good housing area.
(c) (i) Outline the three main features of a
traditional Ghanaians house
(ii)
Explain the usefulness of each of the following mentioned in (c) (i).
(d) Describe FOUR differences between
the traditional / rural housing and urban housing. (November. 2004)
8.(a) Differentiate between a house and housing.
(b) Explain any FOUR decisions that should be
made in planning a house
(c) Describe any three activity areas in a home.
(d) State FOUR advantages of having a place for
laudering clothes in a home.
(November 2003)
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