Housing conditions in a high density town near Harare, Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the living conditions of people and to compare the results with census figures.

DESIGN

Cross sectional.

SETTING

A high density dormitory suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe.

SUBJECTS

108 stands containing 293 households were surveyed in 1990 and 90 stands containing 454 households in 1993.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Crowding index.

RESULTS

An average increase of five people per stand in the three years to an average of 15 to 18 people on each stand was observed, allowing 16.4 to 19.6 m2 per person. Although the number of households living in one room increased from 101 (48.6%) in 1990 to 243 (72.5%) in 1993, the actual number of people per room did not increase. The Chitungwiza population was older than the overall population in Zimbabwe with an increased proportion of men of working age. About one tenth (10.8%) of heads of households who were resident for more than 20 years were still lodgers and 77.0% of these heads of households maintained that they still had a rural home. About three quarters (76.4%) of households had no kitchen and 74.1% of all households cooked on paraffin stoves or occasionally wood fires.

CONCLUSION

Many new rooms had been built on the stands leading to overcrowding with possible implications for health.