A SWOT Analysis of AWH Project Implementation in the Brazilian Amazon as Perceived by Affordable Housing Stakeholders

Abstract

In Brazil, affordable housing programs aimed at low-income populations reach a limited number of people. In the northern region, conventional bricklaying is the preferred method of building affordable single-family houses, which are essentially sets of tiny houses on the outskirts of cities. Conventional bricklaying can damage the environment. This study, started in July 2019, aimed to understand the perception of using timber to build affordable houses by housing program stakeholders and determine why the beneficiaries of housing programs prefer brick houses to wooden houses in locations with building permits. We applied a SWOT analysis to a group of 60 individuals comprising government agents and wooden and brick house residents of cities located in the northern region of Brazil. Subsequently, we devised relevant strategies, validated by stakeholders involved in public policy, for the provision of wooden housing for low-income populations. We used R software to analyze the data, and the results showed that the beneficiaries of affordable housing programs were unaware of wooden architectural projects and their durability, despite the regional abundance of wood and its environmental benefits. We suggest using strategies based on the SWOT analysis and validated by a group of experts to include the Affordable Wooden Housing (AWH) Project in the National Rural Housing Program (PNHR) and Harvest Plan.