Methodology Adaptation across Levels of Development: Applying a US Regional Housing Model to Brazil.

Adapting a methodology to assess housing need is intrinsically difficult, particularly when it must address different levels of development. This paper presents a general discussion of housing needs and assessment methodologies and examines the adaptation of an affordable housing needs assessment methodology developed in the US to produce a method to be applied in developing countries. Specifically, a pilot project was conducted in Brazil, yielding results applicable to any developing country where security of tenure and poverty contribute to the housing problem. Security of tenure, adequacy of shelter and infrastructure, and other concepts are characterized. Cultural, institutional and structural peculiarities of the Brazilian context are explained. The analysis reveals the difficulties of transferring methodologies from developed to developing countries, but also the advantages of looking at seemingly unquantifiable situations through the lenses of a workable model. Results illustrate the application of the adapted methodology and conclusions offer a reflection on the impact of methodology transfer to developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]