IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i6p4885-d1092455.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Multi-Faceted Approach to Improving Public Services in Low-Income Housing in Windhoek, Namibia

Author

Listed:
  • Yewande Adetoro Adewunmi

    (School of Constructin Economics and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa)

  • Uchendu Eugene Chigbu

    (Department of Land and Spatial Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 9000, Namibia)

  • Uaurika Kahireke

    (Department of Land and Spatial Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 9000, Namibia)

  • Prisca Simbanegavi

    (School of Constructin Economics and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa)

  • Sam Mwando

    (Department of Land and Spatial Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 9000, Namibia)

  • Amin Ally Issa

    (Department of Land and Spatial Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 9000, Namibia)

  • Samuel Hayford

    (Department of Land and Spatial Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 9000, Namibia)

Abstract

The characteristics of low-income housing in Namibia include severe inequality in housing standards, heavy reliance on non-office jobs, overcrowding, and poor infrastructure. This study uses a survey and semi-structured interviews to investigate the improved service delivery of this low-income housing. It explores this through the perspectives of community-based facilities management, sustainability, and enterprise development. In particular, the study examines opportunities for enterprise development, the willingness to participate in the production and management of public services, and the current state of public services in selected settlements in Windhoek. The results show that a lack of access to fire safety, disaster prevention, recreation, green spaces and tourist facilities are gaps in service delivery. Residents are willing to participate in both the co-production and management of public services. The study also found that residents have the appropriate skills to enable their engagement in management and production, and suitable governance structures are put in place to foster trust. The study recommends a policy that requires community visioning focused on public service improvement. It also calls for renewed trends in low-income people’s participation in public service development processes. The study’s contribution to existing knowledge on this subject is that it produced a multi-faceted framework for improving public services in low-income housing that is based on principles (and actions) of sustainability and policy (and planning) of land/housing access and has the potential to lead to public service-based community wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Yewande Adetoro Adewunmi & Uchendu Eugene Chigbu & Uaurika Kahireke & Prisca Simbanegavi & Sam Mwando & Amin Ally Issa & Samuel Hayford, 2023. "A Multi-Faceted Approach to Improving Public Services in Low-Income Housing in Windhoek, Namibia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-25, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:4885-:d:1092455
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/4885/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/4885/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Schaeffer, Y. & Dissart, J.-C., 2018. "Natural and Environmental Amenities: A Review of Definitions, Measures and Issues," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 475-496.
    2. Stephen P Osborne & Zoe Radnor & Kirsty Strokosch, 2016. "Co-Production and the Co-Creation of Value in Public Services: A suitable case for treatment?," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(5), pages 639-653, May.
    3. Victor Pestoff & Stephen P. Osborne & Taco Brandsen, 2006. "Patterns of co-production in public services," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(4), pages 591-595, December.
    4. Filipe Santos, 2012. "A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 335-351, December.
    5. McCabe, Annie & Pojani, Dorina & van Groenou, Anthony Broese, 2018. "The application of renewable energy to social housing: A systematic review," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 549-557.
    6. Patrick McAuslan, 1998. "Making Law Work: Restructuring Land Relations in Africa," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 29(3), pages 525-552, July.
    7. Vanda Ningrum & Chotib & Athor Subroto, 2022. "Urban Community Resilience Amidst the Spreading of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): A Rapid Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-12, September.
    8. Adewunmi, Yewande & Chigbu, Uchendu Eugene & Mwando, Sam & Kahireke, Uaurika, 2023. "Entrepreneurship role in the co-production of public services in informal settlements − A scoping review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    9. Emeka Emmanuel Obioha, 2021. "Mission Unaccomplished: Impediments to Affordable Housing Drive in Addressing Homelessness in Sub-Saharan Africa," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    10. Li, Lixing & Wu, Xiaoyu, 2014. "Housing price and entrepreneurship in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 436-449.
    11. Xuesong Li & Yunlong Ding, 2020. "Holistic Governance for Sustainable Public Services: Reshaping Government–Enterprise Relationships in China’s Digital Government Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-20, March.
    12. Armands Auzins & Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, 2021. "Values-Led Planning Approach in Spatial Development: A Methodology," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, April.
    13. repec:eme:mrn000:01409170210782990 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Batara Surya & Seri Suriani & Firman Menne & Herminawaty Abubakar & Muhammad Idris & Emil Salim Rasyidi & Hasanuddin Remmang, 2021. "Community Empowerment and Utilization of Renewable Energy: Entrepreneurial Perspective for Community Resilience Based on Sustainable Management of Slum Settlements in Makassar City, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-36, March.
    15. Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, 2019. "Visually Hypothesising in Scientific Paper Writing: Confirming and Refuting Qualitative Research Hypotheses Using Diagrams," Publications, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, March.
    16. María José Zapata Campos & Patrik Zapata, 2013. "Translating Development Aid Into City Management: The Barrio Acahualinca Integrated Development Programme In Managua, Nicaragua," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 33(2), pages 101-112, May.
    17. Mariafrancesca Sicilia & Alessandro Sancino & Tina Nabatchi & Enrico Guarini, 2019. "Facilitating co-production in public services: management implications from a systematic literature review," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(4), pages 233-240, May.
    18. Leanne Roncolato & John Willoughby, 2017. "Job Quality Complexities," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 49(1), pages 30-53, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Adewunmi, Yewande & Chigbu, Uchendu Eugene & Mwando, Sam & Kahireke, Uaurika, 2023. "Entrepreneurship role in the co-production of public services in informal settlements − A scoping review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    2. Jinpeng Wu & Jing Xiong, 2022. "How Governance Tools Facilitate Citizen Co-Production Behavior in Urban Community Micro-Regeneration: Evidence from Shanghai," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Noella Edelmann & Ines Mergel, 2021. "Co-Production of Digital Public Services in Austrian Public Administrations," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, February.
    4. Aldona Fraczkiewicz-Wronka & Anna Kozak, 2021. "Facilitating Co-production in Health Promotion: Study of Senior Councils in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4B), pages 182-201.
    5. Sabina De Rosis & Francesca Pennucci & Guido Noto & Sabina Nuti, 2020. "Healthy Living and Co-Production: Evaluation of Processes and Outcomes of a Health Promotion Initiative Co-Produced with Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-19, October.
    6. Klimczuk, Andrzej & Gawron, Grzegorz & Szweda-Lewandowska, Zofia, 2021. "Starzenie się populacji. Aktywizacja, koprodukcja i integracja społeczna osób starszych [Population Ageing: Activation, Co-Production, and Social Integration of Older People]," MPRA Paper 108238, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Cristina Campanale & Sara Giovanna Mauro & Alessandro Sancino, 2021. "Managing co-production and enhancing good governance principles: insights from two case studies," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(1), pages 275-306, March.
    8. A. Paula Rodriguez Müller & Cesar Casiano Flores & Valerie Albrecht & Trui Steen & Joep Crompvoets, 2021. "A Scoping Review of Empirical Evidence on (Digital) Public Services Co-Creation," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-21, November.
    9. Stefano Landi & Salvatore Russo, 2019. "Co-production as an interpretative framework in the creation of value in public services," Working Papers 01, Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    10. Jacob Torfing & Eva Sørensen, 2019. "Interactive Political Leadership in Theory and Practice: How Elected Politicians May Benefit from Co-Creating Public Value Outcomes," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-18, July.
    11. O. Vikhanskiy S. & A. Mirakyan G. & О. Виханский С. & А. Миракян Г., 2018. "Лидерство-служение как фактор социального предпринимательства // Servant Leadership as a Factor of Social Entrepreneurship," Управленческие науки // Management Science, ФГОБУВО Финансовый университет при Правительстве Российской Федерации // Financial University under The Government of Russian Federation, vol. 8(1), pages 100-109.
    12. Murphy Patrick J. & Pollack Jeff & Nagy Brian & Rutherford Matthew & Coombes Susan, 2019. "Risk Tolerance, Legitimacy, and Perspective: Navigating Biases in Social Enterprise Evaluations," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 9(4), pages 1-19, October.
    13. Hans K. Hvide & Benjamin F. Jones, 2018. "University Innovation and the Professor's Privilege," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(7), pages 1860-1898, July.
    14. Nosheena Yasir & Nasir Mahmood & Hafiz Shakir Mehmood & Osama Rashid & An Liren, 2021. "The Integrated Role of Personal Values and Theory of Planned Behavior to Form a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    15. Rafael Robina Ramirez & Pedro R. Palos-Sanchez, 2018. "Willingness to Comply with Corporate Law: An Interdisciplinary Teaching Method in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-21, June.
    16. Reeti Kulshrestha & Arunaditya Sahay & Subhanjan Sengupta, 2022. "Constituents and Drivers of Mission Engagement for Social Enterprise Sustainability: A Systematic Review," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 31(1), pages 90-120, March.
    17. Nathanael Ojong, 2022. "Fostering Human Wellbeing in Africa through Solar Home Systems: A Systematic and a Critical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-15, July.
    18. Barbara Bradač Hojnik & Katja Crnogaj, 2020. "Social Impact, Innovations, and Market Activity of Social Enterprises: Comparison of European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Robin Stevens & Nathalie Moray & Johan Bruneel, 2015. "The Social and Economic Mission of Social Enterprises: Dimensions, Measurement, Validation, and Relation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(5), pages 1051-1082, September.
    20. Klaus Deininger & Daniel Ayalew Ali & Takashi Yamano, 2008. "Legal Knowledge and Economic Development: The Case of Land Rights in Uganda," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 84(4), pages 593-619.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:4885-:d:1092455. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.