When moving is more than changing homes:

Relocation from the perspective of homeless due to Venezuelan 1999

landslidesEsther Wiesenfeld

(Central University of Venezuela) Anabel Amaro

(National Fund for Urban Development) ewiesen@reacciun.ve

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Understand the experience lived by homeless, from 1999 Venezuelan landslides relocated in housing programs developed by FONDUR (National Fund for Urban Development), before, during and after the natural disaster, including the final relocation. The latter is the focus of this presentation.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Promote, alongside collecting information, processes of critical reflection, which trigger actions and eventual transformations in the adverse living conditions identified by the victims.

Derive recommendations for disaster victims´ care and relocation, compatible with their needs and lifestyles.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM (SC)

SC is a metatheoretical perspective that conceives of reality as constructions derived from experiences and exchanges of people interacting in a given historical context. The resulting knowledge is used to promote social change, with the leading role of groups or communities.

METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK: QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY (QM)

QM is the research strategy usually adopted by socioconstructivism-based studies. This strategy strives to understand the meaning of experiences, actions and events, as they are interpreted by the actors in the natural context of occurrence (Strauss and Corbin, 1990; Denzin and Lincoln, 1994).

The study was conducted in three residential settlements

built or purchased by FONDUR.

CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

  NSV DA (Sector I)

SA (Sector II)

Number of houses

100 111 200

Plot 

120 

180 

144.4 

Sqm (House)

44.33 44.41 42

Nuestra Señora del Valle (Barinas)

Nuestra Señora del Valle (Barinas)

Doña Alicia (Trujillo)

San Andrés (Zulia)

All the houses laid out in these sectors have two bedrooms, one bathroom, and one space combining living room, dining room and kitchen.

CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

(Cont.)

Gender NSV DA SA Total

Male 9 

5  

1 

15 

Female  2 5

 

7 

14 

Total 11

10 

8 

29  

Nº OF INFORMANTS BY SETTLEMENT

DATA GATHERING METHODS

The information was collected through semi-structured interviews (i) and focus groups (fg).

The main topic in the interview was the residential experience in the current settlement. In the three focus groups the theme was the description and discussion of the problems in their respective settlements and what it meant to them to be relocated.

Methods NSV DA SA Total

i 6(6m)

5 (1m,4f)

3(3f)

14 (7m, 7f)

fg (Nº inf) 

5(3m,2f)

5(4m,1f)

5(1m,4f)

15 (8m,7f)

Total 11 (9m,2f)

10(5m,5f)

8(1m,7f)

29(15m,14f)

 

INFORMANTS BY DATA GATHERING METHODS

RESULTS ANALYSIS

Information was analyzed in accordance with general guidelines for inductive data analysis, suggested by Lincoln and Guba (1985). To that end, we and systematized, categorized and interpreted the information units (words, phrases, concepts, paragraphs) identified in the participants’ report.

These categories are illustrated by excerpts of information provided by participants.

RESULTING CATEGORIES

1. Evaluation of the current settlement

1.1 Sources of negative evaluation

1.2 Sources of positive evaluation

2. Actions undertaken by the residents to solve their problems

3. Aspirations /Desires

  

EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT SETTLEMENT

This category comprises negative and positive factors, inside and outside the settlement, which influence participants’ satisfaction with the environment.

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION Social aspects

a) Social exclusion: ...when you tell them you’re a 1999 victim, they

believe, I mean the people of Barinas, that you’re a criminal, a thief, and this is a violent impact that you’re not used to. (iB3m, 9,2).

...if we go to the hospital and say we are disaster victims, they either don’t want to attend us, or we have to wait. (fgZ2f, 5,3).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Social aspects

This situation is a major obstacle towards adapting to the new settlement.

…I just don’t get used to it; everything was different where I lived before, the change has been dramatic (iT5f, 5,1).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Social aspects b) Lack of community organization:

…the community is overwhelmed by this problem, because there can be no social organization without basic elements, like having a job so you can earn a living (iT5f, 6,4).

c) Violence: …There are differences of opinions and because of that we have violent clashes. We try to form a group, we try to find a solution to our problems, There’s another group that, out of desperation, is unreasonably violent even at home, to their children” (iT1m, 10,5).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION Social

aspects d) Adapting to the problems:

…the strategy that we have used to deal with the problems is just learning to live with them (iB1m, 7,1).

e) Poverty and unemployment: …we are starving; people have blocked the Panamericana Avenue to ask for money, because they’re starving, there are no jobs available; do you know how they hire people there? Randomly, they draw a piece of paper with someone’s name and that person gets a job; engineers at the construction site do that, but that’s only a week’s job. (iT2f, 7,3).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Physical and Environmental Factors

a) City Planning: Irregular water supply …the problem of water. Health depends on water;

that’s the worst problem in San Andrés, water service, (…) they cut off the water service because of cleaning procedures, then we have water for a few days and in three days the whole drill all over again (…) they process the water chemically and your skin itches when you take a shower (fgZ2f, 4,4).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Physical and Environmental Factors

The lack of road access and public transportation …there’s not even a taxi around here, in case of an

emergency (fgB2f,9,2). …to get here you traveled a dirt road that we have

to walk every day to get to the main street and catch a bus, well, if you have enough to pay the fare (iB1m, 7,5).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Physical and Environmental Factors

The lack of educational, and medical and recreational facilities

… there’s nothing here, no schools nearby, no clinics, if you get sick, you can die (iB1m, 7,5).

… there are no sports or recreational facilities, the city planning is deficient…(iT1m, 8,1).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Physical and Environmental Factors b) Physical structure of the housing facilities …the houses are terrible as well as the city planning

(…) one day I told them to fix it because I’m not going to let the roof fall over my head (iB2m, 7,1).

…the houses had no foundations; they were not well built. (iB5m,5,4).

…these houses have no foundations for the beams, they go only ten centimeters into the ground; these streets were not paved because they expected to build more houses, (…) they gave us the houses without toilets, or bathrooms tiles, or flooring. (iT1m, 7,4).

SOURCES OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION

Psychological Impact

…terrible, concerned about this whole situation; we must not forget we just went through a tragedy and the idea is to get over it, not continue suffering (iB2m, 9,3).

…terrible, it’s an unimaginable, tremendous struggle; after you thought you had stability in your life, it’s starting all over again (iT4f, 9, 1).

SOURCES OF POSITIVE EVALUATION

... I really feel at peace here in Barinas; look, Barinas is wonderful; my wife doesn’t want to leave and we have made our lives very quickly, we got jobs, we’re doing fine (iB2m, 6,4).

ACTIONS TO DEAL WITH CURRENT PROBLEMS

Actions within the boundaries of the community

…we have brought state authorities, nothing but meetings, reporting… (iB3m, 6,2).

We made a census in all the houses so they could present their problems (…) we made a video (iT1m, 7,1).

We have organized ourselves (…) we have four organizations working jointly here, including a community association, a credit cooperative, the Manuelita Sáenz Association and the Sports Association (iT1m, 7,2).

ACTIONS TO DEAL WITH CURRENT PROBLEMS

Actions outside the settlement

Mobilizing everywhere; to that end we tackled several places (iB6m,7,2).

…we have talked to the FUS (social fund), the local government, we have submitted written complaints about the condition of the houses (iB2m,7,2).

ACTIONS TO DEAL WITH CURRENT PROBLEMS

Results of the actions

…the fact that you are here gives us hope; at least FONDUR is not neglecting us (iB1m, 8,3).

… it’s good that you are here and taking care of us; others just come here, gather information very quickly, and then storm out; I get the feeling you’re different, you’re patient (iZ1f, 6,3).

…practically the only positive achievement is the relocation of some families, which has reassured us a bit, because the most important aspect, especially now, is relocation... (iB4m,7,2)

ASPIRATIONS

Aspiration of another relocation

I don’t to want to get my house repaired, I don’t want to stay here, I want to live near Caracas (iB1m, 11,4).

I want to be relocated (…) I want to go to Los Teques, the weather is not that hot, or, near Caracas (iT2f, 10,5).

ASPIRATIONS

Desire of settling down in the current neighborhood …we want help to solve the problem of the houses

and road access (iB4m, 9,4). …I hope the houses are improved, and I hope to

find a stable job (iZ3f, 8,9).

Desire of settling down in another house in thesame state

…I hope I get relocated here in Barinas, but somewhere I can get a better sleep (iB6m, 9,3).

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Psychological, social and environmental living conditions, do not appear to : 1. Have NOT sparked transformation of the of the

house into a ´home´.

2. Have NOT promoted conditions for : community participation, empowerment and the consolidation of sustainable communities.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

We witness the need for: 1. a new approach to habitability requirements and the

conditions of handling over the houses to vulnerable populations,

2. including beneficiaries of this type of housing programs in the conception, drafting, and application of these plans.

3. elaborating and implementing strategies that favor familiarization and integration between host communities and new inhabitants, in order to promote harmonious coexistence.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

On the integration academia-government-community

In our view, this research is an example of scientific knowledge serving the interests of social demands and with mutual enrichment.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Challenges The support to residents personal and

organizational empowerment, from the perspective of their leading role in recovering their personal and family identity, and in integration in a new reality, a new community, in other words, a new life.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Identification of their own resources and of the environment might lead to further reassurance of themselves, their neighbors, the settlement; thus, they can relate their idealized past to a feasible present, consistent with their life styles, desires and aspirations. This goal will only be achieved through the coordinate effort among academia, government, and the communities.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Challenges The support to the residents, aimed at their

personal and organizational empowerment, from the perspective of their leading role in recovering their personal and family identity, and in integration in a new reality, a new community, in other words, a new life.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Identification of their own resources and of the environment might lead to further reassurance of themselves, their neighbors, the settlement; thus, they can relate their idealized past to a feasible present, consistent with their life styles, desires and aspirations. This goal will only be achieved through the coordinate effort among academia, government, and the communities.