Housing in Tierrador
Housing in Tierrador is a vital sector in the economy of Tierrador, and it has historically came in a variety of different forms and tenures. In contemporary Tierrador, however, it has mostly been reduced to just two main types; single-family detached houses in lower density areas, and multi-dwelling units seen in more densely-populated urban areas. Despite this, there are still many different forms seen throughout the country, including dormitories (popular among college students) and barracks (used for TDF personnel and some law enforcement/emergency services). Housing architecture in Tierrador largely varies on regional factors and cultures, though in recent years, housing types have become very uniform and Occidentalized.
In Tierrador, housing is a very complicated political topic. Public housing is administered by the Office of Housing and Urban Development, or OHUD. OHUD directs all of its public housing projects and initiatives to the Imperial Public Housing Administration, or IPHA, which was formed in 1995 by Qaphenć Nicholas Sauga. It is commonly referred to as "SaugaHome." Real estate investing in South Crona has slowly commodified the housing market, and while heavy regulations on the practice have prevented housing prices from skyrocketing, it has still caused a plethora of issues throughout South Crona.
Overview
In Pan-Qabóri civilization, housing has historically been seen as a basic need for humans, as it offers protection against the elements. It also is seen as a way of privacy from the outside world, allowing for residents to partake in daily activities that they would rather do in a private setting, away from the public eye. Because of this, South Cronan civilizations have historically emphasized the importance of housing as an inalienable human right, and programs dating back to the days of the Abio Woqalate were put in place to provide free housing to those who were less fortunate. As Tierrador industrialized around the beginning of the 19th century, the demand for urban housing skyrocketed, and urban areas around the country began to rapidly grow in population. However, as de-industrialization occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, suburban housing began to rise in popularity. Housing costs in the city centers began to rapidly increase, and many people moved to the outskirts, as they were regarded as less expensive.
As South Crona became more economically and socially liberalized in the 1980s and 1990s, opinions on housing availability became more divided and polarized. Many social movements call for increased regulations on real estate investing and development, while others want the regulations loosened, as they believe commodified housing can be beneficial to the Tierradorian economy. Today, housing in Pan-Qabóri society is regarded as the backbone of an individual's sense of community. It is also very important to developers, builders, lenders, investors, and architects, as they view housing as a commodity for their own financial gain.
Housing statistics
In 2030, the IPHA conducted a survey in cooperation with the Census Bureau during the 2030 Tierradorian census, and found that there were approximately 102,968,213 housing units at the time. Of this number, 94,730,756 (92%) were occupied and 8,237,457 (8%) were unoccupied. Of the occupied units, 36,251,883 (38.3%) were owned by the resident household. On average, there are approximately 4.22 rooms per unit, the average floor area was 1,332 square feet, and the average number of residents per room was 0.63. As of 2027, detached single-family homes accounted for 56% of all housing units in Tierrador. In 2028, it was estimated that 6 out of 10 Tierradorian households lived in detached houses.
Construction
Most newer houses since 1993 were constructed using wood framing and mudbrick. In some cases, mudbrick is used to provide a foundation, however most high-rise foundations are constructed using reinforced concrete. Sometimes, mudbrick and concrete foundations are also designed to allow room available for a basement. Most interiors consist of painted or wall-covered drywall, held together by the wood framing. Roofing is commonly constructed using tile, fired clay or concrete. Red is a common roof color seen throughout all of Tierrador, with the term “Tierra-style” being used to describe red-roofed homes around the world.
Interior design
Traditional design
Traditional Qabóri interiors were typically designed with a large common area, with up to six miscellaneous rooms surrounding the common area, depending on the size of the house. The surrounding rooms were typically used as bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. The common area was designated as the main living space for the house, and most daily activities took place in this room. All of the rooms are separated by a wooden sliding door, known as a osu’alet. Osu’alets were typically translucent, allowing for natural light to enter the house while also allowing for privacy within the home.
Modern design
Modern house designs in South Crona are loosely based on the traditional Qabóri interiors, while also incorporating different elements from around the world. Bungalows were built as a form of modern exterior design, which had also held the more modernized traditional Qabóri interior layout. Osu’alets were mostly phased out in the late 20th century, in favor of more durable wooden doors. The increase of Ængle immigrants from Alstin and Urcea led to a wave of Ængle-inspired interiors in the Ulunkheria and Alcosky Territories. In the early 2000s, Songun marble interiors became more popular in larger villas and mansions throughout the country. Songun-style interiors would become a staple of early 21st century Tierradorian upper middle class life.
Public housing
Qabóri Woqalate
Public housing in the Qabóri Woqalate dates back to the 9th century AD, where the earliest system of land reforms within the massive empire were also apparent. In 992, Qabóri housing offices were established in most major cities, by decree of Woqali Aya III, for the purpose of providing basic housing needs to underdeveloped tribes in surrounding areas. The first instances of apartment buildings, known at the time as Ka’ekesat, were built throughout major cities such as Taisgol, Qabór, Miccubo, and Ambaqwe, using mudbrick, stone, concrete, and timber. Ka’ekesat were mostly built for lower-class city residents in the very dense and populous major cities. Housing offices were often located on the ground floor of the structures, and they served as the operators of them. Within its walls, an average ka’ekesat was able to hold around 200 people, and residents were often free to decorate and accommodate their unit as they wished. Typically, units in a ka’ekesat featured two bedrooms, a common area, and a cooking area, however the style often varied on social class and affordability.
Kintónist policy
Housing in the Walakee State was mostly characterized by the policies of autocrat Pedro Kintón. In 1964, Kintón signed into effect the Affordable Housing Act of 1964, which forced sellers to prioritize individuals looking to buy a house, even at a lower price, over investors and corporations looking to turn a profit. This made it so investors could not buy up massive amounts of land in newly-developed neighborhoods and rent them out at exorbitant prices, in which a policy similar to that had not been seen since the downfall of the Qabóri Woqalate. Kintón had also allocated $400 million to OHUD, and created several agencies whom primarily focused on enforcing the 1964 legislation along with establishing and protecting affordable housing for the country's massive homeless population at the time. By Kintón's death in 1983, the homeless population had dropped to 1%, and almost every Tierradorian resident was able to find accommodations for permanent housing. Despite this, Kintón's successor, Nathan Hauqač, began reducing OHUD's budget by a large margin, and as a result, many complexes constructed under Kintón would be shut down due to insufficient funding. This actually would become one of the main catalysts of the Ten Cities' Uprising, and the subsequent fall of the Walakee State.
Contemporary
Housing in modern Tierrador was largely defined by Nicholas Sauga's attempts at recreating the successful housing policy of the Kintónist era. The Revised Housing Act of 1995, co-signed by Sauga and Woqali Mokhar II, created the Imperial Public Housing Administration, which would eventually become colloquially known as the "SaugaHome" organization. SaugaHome's first decade of existence was marred in controversy and nearly failure, due to complications involving political discourse, insufficient funding, and lack of skilled laborers who actually wanted to work for the organization. SaugaHome offered a little over the minimum wage at the time to its potential construction workers, which turned any potential laborers away from the organization. Eventually, after five years of complications and the election of Aphía Monderia as Qaphenć in 1999, SaugaHome and OHUD were both heavily reorganized, and had begun to attract foreign skilled labor as a result. The organization slowly but surely began to establish affordable housing complexes in every Tierradorian major city, and by 2008, SaugaHome had accounted for 70% of all public housing in the country. SaugaHome would eventually go international as well, establishing affordable housing in Istrenya and Malentina, two countries whom historically had high homeless populations.
Private housing
Urban
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Private housing in urban areas of Tierrador mostly take the form of modern ka'ekesat apartment buildings, which are typically owned by a wealthy individual or corporation who rent out the units to tenants wishing to live in that area. Modern ka'ekesat buildings, which were inspired by the ancient Qabóri ka'ekesat, became popular once more around the 1950s, 60s, and 70s as a form of commodity housing and real estate investment. Ka'ekesat commodification became a lot more difficult to turn a profit, however, as the Affordable Housing Act of 1964 allowed the Imperial Government to force private ka'ekesat owners to sell their buildings to the government, so that the government could turn them into affordable units for lower-class residents. After Kintón's death in 1983, wealthy real estate investors began to lobby in the Qangreč for the repealing of the 1964 Act. While Nathan Hauqač did not reverse the law, he did alter it so that investors and individuals could have an even playing field in the housing market.
This new code would backfire heavily on Hauqač, however, as urban ka'ekesat units were bought up in bulk by the investors and reformed into unaffordable condominiums, often resulting in the original residents of the ka'ekesat being evicted from their homes due to them not being able to pay for the exorbitant rental price. This would lead to the creation of a asset price bubble in the late 1980s, which would burst during the 1993 Tierradorian financial crisis. After the fall of the Walakee State and the passing of the Revised Housing Act in 1995, the Imperial Government began to crack down once more on housing commodification, much to the dismay of investors despite the heavy losses incurred during the financial crisis. The even playing field established by Hauqač would be altered once again, giving back a slight advantage to lower and middle-class Tierradorians who had trouble trying to find a decently affordable place to live, which was well-received by the Tierradorian public. Today, the IPHA has a set code of regulations for urban private housing, however they do not interfere in the daily financial activities of lenders.
Suburban
Private housing in Tierradorian suburban areas are vastly different to those in urban areas. The rise of urban sprawl to underdeveloped lands surrounding urban areas throughout the country in the 1990s and 2000s were a direct result of the restrictions placed on real estate investors and lenders by the Revised Housing Act of 1995. Because of Tierrador's low population density and large amounts of underdeveloped land, suburban sprawl featuring detached single-family homes in most major urban areas became a staple of Tierradorian society, with less environmental repercussions than if it were to occur in a much more densely populated country, such as Urcea, Daxia, or Kiravia. Many international organizations and scholars have criticized the suburban sprawl architecture of Tierrador, claiming it creates more issues concerning urban traffic and general inconvenience. To counter this, many suburbs have altered their zoning laws to require different types of commercial, residential, and financial zones all within a short distance from each other so that residents are able to access it without having to own a car. Many South Cronan cities have also added and/or changed routes in their respective rapid transit systems, so that residents living in the suburbs can access the main city area via rail and vice versa. In general, many Tierradorians prefer to live in detached single-family homes in suburban areas, due to it being much more affordable than a private apartment or condominium in the middle of a dense urban area.
Affordability
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In 2031, 75% of Tierradorians lived in an owner-occupied home, including those with an outstanding mortgage on their property, while the remaining quarter live in rental properties. The average home price in 2030 was $189,500, which is a 16% increase from the 2020 average price of $159,180. The average rent price in the most expensive city, Taisgol, was $2,500, while the average rent in the cheapest city, Apin Tascaí, was around $1,350. Tierrador has always been well-regarded as having some of the cheapest housing units of any developed country, and has the most affordable housing units in South Crona. Despite this, housing prices are starting to see a considerably faster rise compared to average income since 2021, and many economists are fearing that another property bubble with the same economic consequences as the one in 1993 is beginning to form with the housing price increases.