Challenges and prospects of slum revitalization/red envelopment/ in oromiy regional state: the case of Jimma town; south western Ethiopia.

Abstract

Urban redevelopment or revitalization is designed to change the slum conditions which characterize urban centres of the country. Jimma is one of the oldest towns found in Ethiopia. The dominance of slum, especially the inner part of the town, has forced the town administration to revitalize the slum. As part of bridging the research gap on the town, this study aims at assessing the challenges and prospects of slum revitalization, especially the challenges facing households relocated to a new settlement from the intervention area. In order to achieve the stated objectives, different study methods were employed For collecting primary data from respondents sampling techniques, probability for selecting sample households and non probability for selecting stakeholders has been utilized and survey questionnaire was developed and conducted. Overall, 106 sample households were contacted and 11 key informants from responsible stakeholders were contacted for interview. Having analyzed the collected data, the study came up with the following key findings; problems with institutional arrangement, low financial capacity, lack of sufficiently skilled manpower, poor coordination among the various public bodies and stakeholders, reduced income of relocated households, resettling households in unfavourable areas without conducting studies, improved housing conditions in new settlement and business environment in the intervention area. In an attempt to improve the situation, the study put forward the following recommendations: town level efforts should be complimented by regional states, the local state should coordinate and manage the stakeholders, urban focused sectors has to be strengthened, an employees should be capacitated with short and long term training programme, and last but not least dire attention should be given for the livelihood of poor or relocate households,