BETWEEN FORMAL DESIGN AND INFORMAL REALITY IN SOCIAL HOUSING IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA : THE CASE OF MALABO

Abstract

In many sub-Saharan countries, the response to the housing shortage has led governments to implement social housing programs. In Malabo, the programs implemented by the government since the colonial period with the aim of reducing the housing deficit are undergoing a process of informalization that compromises the initial objectives of planning and sustainability. The purpose of this study is to analyze the causes, forms, and consequences of this informalization of social housing in this city. To this end, a mixed methodology combining documentary analysis, household surveys, field observations, architectural surveys, and cartographic analysis was used. Three (3) representative cities were studied, namely Los Ángeles, Buena Esperanza I, and Vigatana B. The results show a discrepancy between the regulatory framework and actual practices. Similarly, informalization is dominated by structural and institutional causes (41.45%), followed by physical causes (30.29%). Informalization manifests itself spatially through unauthorized extensions, the privatization of common spaces, and the establishment of informal economic activities. This study highlights the need to rethink social housing policies through inclusive and participatory approaches involving local communities.