Implications from the Experiences of Incremental Housing Approach in Egypt

Case Study of Ebny Baitak Project

Sixth of October City

Ahmed Shalaby, Ph.D.

Associate Professor - Cairo University

WUF-6 Naples - Italy

1- Ebny Baitak Project 1-1. Project Background

• Ebny Baitak or “Build Your Own House” is one of the approaches undertaken by the government to solve the housing problems of low-income groups in Egypt.

• The project started in 2005 with the aim of providing more than 90 thousands plots of an area of 150 sq.m. each.

• Each plot accommodates a small house that consists of ground plus two upper floors.

• Each floor has a residential unit of an area of 63 sq.m. in addition to a 12 sq.m. as a stair.

• The project accommodates a total number of about 270,000 units of an area of 63 sqm over the 90,000 plots.

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1-1. Project Background

• The plots are distributed in 13 new cities all over the country.

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1-2. The Role of the Government

• Land allocation and physical planning.

• Providing the main infrastructure and the main services and facilities.

• Providing complete engineering drawings for housing prototypes.

• Providing a conditioned financial support to each beneficiary for a total of 15,000 EGP (about $ 2,700 as of 2008 exchange rate) paid according to the progress of the construction.

• Facilitating financing options through banks and financial institutions.

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1-3. The Beneficiary Selection Criteria

• Age: between 21 and 40.

• Income: a proven monthly income for single applicants of no less than 1,000 EGP (about $ 180 as of 2008) and a proven monthly income for married applicants of no less than 1,500 EGP (about $ 270 as of 2008).

• Residence: The applicant must be a resident of the same geographical zone of the city where he/she is applying for a plot.

• The applicant should not have benefitted from any previous governmental housing projects.

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1-4. The Beneficiary Obligations

• The land is priced at 70 EGP/sq.m. (about $ 13 as of 2008) for a total of 10,500 EGP (about $ 1900 as of 2008) per plot.

• On applying, the applicant pay 10% that is 1,050 EGP (about $ 190 as of 2008) and the other 90% is paid with no interest on seven equal annual installments.

• The beneficiary is exempted from paying the rest of the land installments once the house is completely built and externally finished.

• The beneficiary should get the construction permit within a maximum of 4 months and pay a construction permit fee of 300 EGP (about $ 55 as of 2008).

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1-4. The Beneficiary Obligations

• The beneficiary is allowed to build a house of ground and two upper floors according to certain prototypes on 50% of the plot area.

• The construction cost for the whole building semi finished from inside and completely finished from outside is about 150,000 EGP (about $ 27,000 as of 2008)

• The government provides the beneficiary with a conditioned financial support for a total of 15,000 EGP (about $ 2700 as of 2008) against completing the ground floor paid in 3 stages according to work progress.

• The beneficiary is not allowed to sell or rent the land. However, the beneficiary is allowed to sell the built units.

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1-4. Design Samples

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Attached Prototype

Ground Floor

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Attached Prototype

Typical Floor

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Corner Prototype

Ground Floor

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Corner Prototype

Typical Floor

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Main Elevation Styles

1-4. Design Samples

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Attached Prototype

Ground Floor

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3 4 5

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Attached Prototype

Typical Floor

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3 4 5

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Corner Prototype

Ground Floor

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3 4

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Corner Prototype

Typical Floor

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3 4

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Main Elevation

1-4. Design Samples

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Attached Prototype

Ground Floor

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Attached Prototype

Typical Floor

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Main Elevation

Corner Prototype

Ground Floor

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Corner Prototype

Typical Floor

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1-5. Incremental Expansion Stages

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Land Preparation and

Excavation

Building Foundations Ground Floor Columns

and Walls

Ground Floor Completed

with External Finishing

First Floor Completed

with External Finishing

Building Completed

with External Finishing

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2. Case Study - Sixth of October City

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2-1. Ebny Baitak at Sixth of October

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Ebny Baitak Project

Zones

2-2. Current Status of the Project

• In 2008, the government started delivering the plots to the beneficiaries and this process was completed in 2009.

• As of April 2012, about 80% of the beneficiaries in Sixth of October City already completed the construction of the ground floor of their plots.

• On the other hand, the roads and infrastructure are not completed yet.

• The overall percentage of roads and infrastructure completed does not exceed 60%.

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2-2. Current Status of the Project

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Housing Buildings

2-2. Current Status of the Project

1-16 Infrastructure Works

• The prototypes are almost standard in all different locations.

• The selection of the beneficiaries based on their proven income only.

• The areas allocated to the project are not served by public transportation lines.

• The miss-coordination between the delivery of the allocated plots to the beneficiaries and the provision of the infrastructure.

• The delay of the provision of the infrastructure.

• The absence of security in the areas of the project.

• There is no project management body for the whole project.

• Most of the financing is self provided, which makes it difficult for a large sector of low-income people to apply for the project.

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2-3. Problems of Application

• Selecting the beneficiaries according to several criteria.

• Emphasizing the characteristics of expected residents.

• Emphasizing the identities of the different locations in the prototypes designs.

• Adopting the approach of participatory planning.

• Maintaining a multidimensional balance between the completion of the infrastructure with all its aspects and the delivery of the plots to the beneficiaries.

• Providing effective housing finance mechanisms.

• Providing effective public transportation facilities.

• Providing the tools that help integrate the people of different backgrounds to live together in the area.

• Providing a management body to manage the development of the area.

• Adopting the mechanism of pre-fabricated housing units. 1-18

3. Implications for Future Developments

THANKS

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