Rapid population growth due to high birth rates and migration to urban areas has led to housing shortages in many countries. As populations increase, more homes are needed but land is limited due to competing uses in agriculture, industry, and residences. With limited land supply in cities, population density increases as multiple families live in the same area to cope with the scarcity of developable land.

1. Chong Boon Secondary School
Sec 2 Geography
Unit 3 Lesson 3
Causes of housing
shortage

2. Objectives
• What are the causes that lead
to housing shortage?
• What are the consequences of
housing shortage?

3. Why does housing shortage occur?
• Rapid population growth
• Migration
• High birth rates
• Competing land use
• Limited land supply

4. Rapid population growth
• Rapid population growth leads to
need for more shelter.
• Global population is projected to
reach 8.4 billion by 2030.
• Urban population is projected to
reach 5 billion by 2030. Refer to Pg 76 & 77
of your textbook.

5. Migration
• The movement of people from one
area to another to reside (at least a
year)
• Rural-urban migration is constantly
on the rise.
• Attracted by the Pull factors in the
Urban areas and the Push factors in
the Rural areas. Read Pg 78 -79 of your
textbook.

7. High birth rates
• Birth rate = number of live births for
every 1000 people in a year.
• Natural increase = Birth rate –
Death rate.
• With rising birth rates, more shelter
is needed for the larger populations.

8. Competing land use
• Developing countries have limited
land.
–Agriculture
• Farming and production of food
–Residential
• Housing for the citizens
–Industrial
• Manufacturing of consumable goods

9. Agricultural landuse

10. Limited land supply
• Cities have limited land supply.
• Physical limitations
– Seas / Mountains / Valleys
• Cities tend to locate near flat lands with less
extreme weather conditions.
• With limited land supply, costs of land rise.
• One key coping mechanism is to have more
people living in the same area (increase the
population density)
Refer to Pg 82 & 83 of your
textbook

11. Summary
• Click on the following icons to view the
summary videos for each item.
• Log onto the Sec 2 Geography Facebook page
for the links!
Population
Density
Rural – Urban
Migration
Birth & Death
Rates