Social housing in Myanmar: Issues and way forward

Abstract

Globally, both developed and developing countries are trying to be better in social housing provision. However, high poverty level and increased population are the major challenges for the government in developing countries. Myanmar is also facing the same problems; the government is in an emergency to provide the housing for citizens, especially in its most rapidly growing city of Yangon. The government has been planning to construct the “one million housing project” since 2011, which is expected to be accomplished by 2030. However, this target was not met for the first five-year fiscal plan. It is a question among the citizens whether the government will accomplish such a project in time. This paper was aimed to identify the current issues of social housing provision in Myanmar, and to identify some possible coping strategies. This was achieved through a systematic review of literature and a series of interviews with selected individuals who were involved in social housing in Myanmar. The findings highlighted some key issues in Myanmar social housing industry and its provision, and recommends possible approaches to rectify the problems.