Open Access Journal Article

The role of economic development in improvements of Cambodian housing conditions

by Florian Gerth a,*  and  Karol S. Sikora b
a
Asian Institute of Management, Makati, Manila, Philippines
b
CEO of Neacemka, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
JRE  2023 2(1):6; https://doi.org/10.58567/jre02010001
Received: 16 March 2023 / Accepted: 4 April 2023 / Published Online: 30 May 2023
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Abstract

In the past, investing in housing has served as an engine of growth for many economies as it is widely recognized that poor housing conditions can have significant negative impacts on human health, education, and economic opportunities. To assess the housing-related quality of life, indicators such as housing quality, housing environment, and cost burdens can be applied. However, recent studies indicate that materials used for construction are critical. Permanent materials, as opposed to temporary materials, typically offer a range of benefits in terms of durability, low maintenance, improved energy efficiency, increased property value, and better safety. The ultimate aim is to identify the key drivers of housing conditions in Cambodia, with a particular focus on materials and water quality, and the legal status of housing. To find the empirical relationship between economic, socio-economic, and demographic variables on the one hand, and variables measuring housing and living conditions in Cambodia on the other, the analysis employs Ordinary Least Squares and Methods-of-Moments regression modeling. Results indicate that high employment rates and entrepreneurship increase home ownership, and improve the quality of drinking water available. Furthermore, in addition to employment and entrepreneurship, the higher-performing construction materials can also be empirically explained by a bigger labor force and variables capturing the wider macroeconomic environment.

Keywords: Economic Development; Real Estate Economics; Regional and Urban Economics; Statistical Yearbook of Cambodia;
Copyright: © 2023 by Gerth and Sikora. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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ACS Style
Gerth, F.; Sikora, K. S. The role of economic development in improvements of Cambodian housing conditions. Journal of Regional Economics, 2023, 2, 6. https://doi.org/10.58567/jre02010001
AMA Style
Gerth F, Sikora K S. The role of economic development in improvements of Cambodian housing conditions. Journal of Regional Economics; 2023, 2(1):6. https://doi.org/10.58567/jre02010001
Chicago/Turabian Style
Gerth, Florian; Sikora, Karol S. 2023. "The role of economic development in improvements of Cambodian housing conditions" Journal of Regional Economics 2, no.1:6. https://doi.org/10.58567/jre02010001
APA style
Gerth, F., & Sikora, K. S. (2023). The role of economic development in improvements of Cambodian housing conditions. Journal of Regional Economics, 2(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.58567/jre02010001

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