Decision Analysis for Housng-Project Development

The implementation of an effective decision-making process for reducing the cost of housing can solve a significant part of the housing problems in countries with limited resources. Important cost-influencing factors are discussed in this paper, and general recommendations are outlined. One of the main objectives of this paper, however, is the development of a methodology based on decision analysis using a systems framework for effective uses of available resources. The methodology considers simultaneously the options and constraints of relevant socioeconomic factors in the planning and construction of urban housing-project developments. The methodology consists of the following steps: (1) Definition of possible scenarios for the use of resources; (2) assessment of the desirability of identified scenarios by potential residents; (3) assessment of the implementation suitability; (4) development of weight factors for desirability and implementation suitability of identified scenarios; and finally (5) decision analysis and selection of an optimal combination of scenarios. A case study example is used to demonstrate the practicality of the developed methodology for reducing the cost of houses.