Temporary shelters evolution
Client: Handicap International
Location: Haiti
2016
In response to the 2010 earthquake, HI provided 1050 T-shelters in rural areas of Haiti to vulnerable people or people with disabilities. 5 years on, this very unique evaluation assesses their durability and use.
The evaluation also covered the complementary component of the project: the construction of schools using the same timber construction system. For both shelters and schools, the evaluation covered the issues of building conditions; modifications and durability; and long-term impacts for beneficiaries and communities.
The project has had significant long-term positive impacts on the beneficiaries as, five years after their construction, the vast majority of the T-shelters are still guaranteeing the physical security of people and their belongings and are continuing to provide security of tenure.
One of the main findings to emerge from our fieldwork is that 80% of the 206 T-shelters visited are still being lived in by their original occupants on their initial site, with this situation being more common among landowners and usufruct beneficiaries than among tenants. A second key finding is that 77% of the T-shelters show no signs of major damage.
Finally, an interesting fact is that modifications to the T-shelter were very common and varied, few of the shelters visited were still as they were originally built. This prompted us to work on a graphic representation of the diversity of solutions for improvements, extensions or embellishments.
