Identified Housing Issues

Social

A critical concern that is constantly tackled on the social issue in housing is the existence of an imbalanced society. The elements of an imbalance society includes the inefficiency of services being offered to the community, the declining health condition of the community members, low productivity, and the blight of the physical environment within the community.
Unfortunately, these elements were seen on the site. One of the beneficiaries noted that their GK site is almost considered as a failure especially in its goal of transforming the village into a better form/state. As clearly seen in the village, the site exhibited blighted homes and other public facilities which were obviously not well maintained. Other physical structures also showed the blight physical environment of the village.

These scenes clearly established the inefficiency of the services given to the community which basically reflect the failure of the political system in effectively providing the needed/basic services for the community. The living condition in the Waterlily village clearly put on view how socially disadvantaged the people there are.

Technological

Like all other GK projects, the dwelling units in the Water lily Village utilized housing technologies that are affordable/cost effective; the materials are readily available, and durable.
They made use of concrete hollow blocks that is designed to be filled with less mortar. This design will greatly lessen the expenditure of cement and gravel thereby lowering the material cost in construction. The truss system of the dwelling units made use of the steel truss system which is more cost effective and durable than the usual timber truss system.
In land reclamation, the equipment costs and the costs of acquiring land for filling the swampy areas inflated and eventually lead to the existing problems of the GK Waterlily site. No systematic or cost innovations were employed for land reclamation.

Security

Security is also a major issue in the site. The village is open and has no means of regulating the entry and exit of individuals that come and go. Although the village has a definite entrance area and is seemingly bounded by the periphery walls of adjacent properties, there was no sense of definite order or authoritative entities that can control the order within the village. The village also lacks in other public structures (lamp post, etc) that may augment the need of the community for a safe neighborhood.

Environmental

Upon reaching the Waterlily compound, the initial image of the area is that of an un-reformed slum. Although the residents of the compound were reasonably friendly, they were unfamiliar with the GK Program, which was due to the meager number of beneficiaries for the program. The compound is secluded with a radial layout with the body of water as the epicenter. However, the growth of the village is organic with unplanned constructions of furthermore makeshift dwellings. Hence, the overall arrangement of the dwelling units is cluttered. The width of the streets and paths were considerably wide, reminiscent of a gridiron street planning but upon nearing the wet areas, the street organization faded.

Economic

The beneficiaries of the GK project in Waterlily Village relied on the livelihood programs that the CFC has provided them. Harvesting waterlilies for export and making hand crafted products are the main livelihood activities that were introduced to the beneficiaries to supplement to their insufficient family income.