Housing Policy for Low-income Households (Ger Areas) in Mongolia: Based on Generic Characteristic of Developing Countries

As that experienced in other developing countries, Mongolia has already faced multilateral side issues for two decades due to economic growth that created Ger areas or internationally 'Slum', public housing and living conditions for low-income citizens, on the basis of rapid migration from rural areas to urban. Ger areas appear to be the main cause of environmental pollution problems and impending comfortable living conditions of the city's residents by covering more than half area of Ulaanbaatar city. Also, the spread of the Ger areas has many side issues such as prevention of urban development and unaesthetic. Most inhabitants of the areas are on low-incomes, and living in the detached houses or felt yurts (Ger) usually build within a low budget, by themselves or unprofessional people, and by using materials of poor quality. Therefore, Ger areas are an inevitable issue that requires effective, proper and immediate housing policy coordination under the government and even the housing market. Unfortunately housing policies, laws, and projects adopted by Mongolian government have shown inefficient results. The government housing policies, unlike other developing countries did not target low-income households' housing which is the priority issue for two decades. But only in 2014, the Long-term housing policy with the strategy for affordable housing initiated the housing policy for low-income households. This policy has five main broad directions such as redevelopment of Ger area, the land readjustment, public rental housing, new settlements and new city and reconstruction for old apartments, which are rather general and would require tremendous financial resources if each of the directions is implemented simultaneously without prioritization. Therefore this research aims to suggest the efficient and adequate housing policy direction for the low-income households in Ger area based on achievement of other developing countries' strategies, performances and generic characteristic with explanatory models. Also, this research adopts a literature analysis method that uses various research reports, related papers in domestic and international journals, and theses by experts, researchers, public institutions, and agencies.