Abstract:
This study was assessed the challenges of access to housing in Lemen town, South West Shewa zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. To achieve these objectives mixed method of research design was employed. Among the target population 174 sample households were selected by using simple random sampling method to and 12 respondents were selected by using purposive sampling method for interview. Both primary and secondary data sources were used. In order to analyze the collected data descriptive statistical tools such as percentage and frequency were used and were presented using tables, pie-chart and bar graphs while interview and field observations were analyzed thematically or narration. As the findings indicated there was shortage of alternative housing services in the study area. As a result, 90.23% of the respondents were residing in house rented from private owners, which was inappropriate in terms of monthly payment of rent house as compared to respondents’ monthly income. The challenges in the process of accessing to own house was identified as low income, absence of saving, absence of loanlack of housing land and high monthly payment of rent house. As it was assessed the impacts of lack of access to own house ranges up to undignified harassments and violation of fundamental rights of the houseless. On the basis of analysis the study recommends that developing the saving habit of the society by providing continuous capacity building programs, the municipality should facilitate the involvement of private sector in the production and provision of housing at affordable price, the government should provide housing finance for those low income earners, the municipality should facilitate mechanism for low income earners to access to plot of land for house construction without bidding and the government should be involved and design the common binding rule for house renters and houseless peoples
