Analysing the Urban Housing Challenge in Harare, Zimbabwe through the Wicked Policy Problems Framework

Abstract

This article analyses how urban housing challenges in Harare, Zimbabwe have transformed into a wicked policy problem and further proposes some measures for managing this problem. The article uses a qualitative research approach in which an explanatory case study research design and key informant interviews are used to investigate how the provision of urban housing facilities has become a demanding task for the City of Harare in Zimbabwe. The study reveals how rapid population growth in Harare has escalated the demand for, and subsequent shortage of housing facilities leading to housing access complexities and persistently depreciating housing conditions in this city. The article argues that housing challenges in Harare are symptoms of other social problems such as unemployment, poverty, social inequalities, misgovernance and institutional corruption. This article proposes context-specific measures for harnessing a holistic approach that can be used for managing urban population explosions and sustainable housing provision in developing countries with Harare in Zimbabwe used as the social laboratory for analysis. This article has a practical and theoretical orientation as it proposes the measures that can be adopted to manage the wicked urban housing policy problem in Zimbabwe.