The Center of Urban and Regional Planning for Postgraduate Studies at the University of Baghdad discussed the master’s thesis entitled “Analysis and Evaluation of Factors Influencing Housing Deprivation,” by student Zahraa Mohammed Ali, under the supervision of Professor Jamal Baqir Mutlaq. The thesis aimed to identify the level and type of deprivation experienced by families and the influencing factors, with the aim of mitigating the suffering of these families from the effects of this phenomenon. This was achieved by understanding and clarifying the theoretical foundations and basic concepts of deprivation and its indicators in its seven dimensions (education, skills, work, health, housing, living environment, facilities, and household appliances), which are closely linked to human development. This was achieved by identifying indicators of housing deprivation through the housing and living environment dimensions.
The thesis assumed the existence of a set of social, economic, and urban factors influencing housing deprivation, such as the lack of housing ownership or the performance efficiency of the housing unit or its external surroundings, such as the suitability of the housing and the nature of the facilities and services within the residential area.
In her thesis, the student recommended the importance of achieving the strategic goals of combating poverty, adopted by the Ministry of Planning, and developing national policies targeting low- and middle-income families to improve the quality of housing units for their occupants. This should be done in coordination with the Ministry of Transport to expand public transportation networks in these areas, in addition to enhancing municipal, social, and recreational services, while simultaneously limiting encroachments or changing land uses.
