4 2 House Types and Housing Uses in Kumasi , Ghana

Irit Sinai is a Research and Planning Analyst, at the Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University Medical Center. She holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , and her major research interests are housing , the informal economic sector, and migratio n within developing countries. The use of homes not only for shelter, but also for income generation through informal-sector activities, is a widespread phenomenon in many cities in developing countries. A woman can cook in her kitchen and sell meals in the market or at street comers, and a family store or workshop can be located at home. Such activities are highly prevalent in cities where self -employment in the informal sector is high (Fass, 1987).