37º IAHS World Congress on Housing: - Universidad de Cantabria

XXXVII <strong>IAHS</strong><strong>World</strong> <strong>Congress</strong> on HousingOctober 26 – 29, 2010, Santander, SpainCODE: 708GOVERNMENT VERSUS CIVIL SOCIETY: AN APPROACHTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INTHAILANDChaweewan Denpaiboon a , Vimolsiddhi Horayangkura b , Mitsuo Takada caUrban Environment Planning and Development, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University,(Rangsit Campus),Klong Luang, Patumthani Province12121,Thailand, e-mail: denpaiboon_c@yahoo.combGraduate School of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University, (Rangsit Campus),Klong Luang,Patumthani Province12121, Thailand, e-mail: hvimolsi@tu.ac.thcHousing and Environmental Design Division, Kyoto University, Japan, # 282 (C1-4), C-cluster, KatsuraCampus, e-mail: takada@archi.kyoto-u.ac.thKey words: Housing Policy, Governmental Subsidies, Civil Society, Affordable Housing, SocialStructure Change Policy, Social InnovationAbstractThe article focuses on the identification and illustration of the shift of low income housingpolicy and implementation in Thailand. Housing is one of the major sectors of nationaldevelopment; it plays a vital role in a developing country. Policy and housing mechanismshave witnessed major shifts toward affordable housing since 1973, mainly implemented bythe public sector. This article is concerned with the decentralization of the governmental rolein providing shelters for the low income group to the present-day civil society activity in thecreation of affordable housing. The role of civic social innovation in urban development wasa result of key social structure changes to strengthen a community based on social capital. Anaffordable house is not a spatial organization but rather a reflection of social movementplanning. The objectives of the study were (1) to analyze a comparative study ofgovernmental policy between public sector and civic society approaches to affordable housingdevelopment by NHA and CODI during 2003-2010; (2) to examine the governmental policydevelopment by many mechanisms for 30 years to identify any needed changes to policies toencourage low income housing development; and (3) to recommend the policy of affordablehousing development for the low income group. The research method comprised a fieldsurvey on the case study by observation, interviews, and questionnaires, which was conductedamong a random selection sample of 140 households in Baan Eua-Ahtorn Project and BaanMan Kong Project. These findings provide a framework of policy that brings together threeconcepts. First, the providing for low income group alone policy is not able to develophousing projects; it should mix income groups for sustainable housing development. Second,Baan Man Kong Project places more emphasis on process of development and on continuityof development than Baan Eua-Ahtorn projects. Third, both projects will support the housingshortage. In the final section, conclusions are drawn about social innovation in governmentalpolicy, focusing on the empowering experiments with decentralization and democracy ofgovernmental accessible to civil society and its interests.37º <strong>IAHS</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Congress</strong> On Housing Science 269