Explaining the Impact of Government Policies on Economic, Social and Physical Changes in Rural Housing Using Importance-Performance Technique (IPA), Case Study: Rural Villages of Kurdistan Province

Introduction Given the influential role of government actions and policies in the development of rural housing, plans and programs related to housing development, should be approached by holistic approach, In keeping with the villagers' needs, while upgrading the fortification of the houses, preserving the native architecture in terms of the aesthetics and functional diversity of the various rural home spaces. Today's rural housing in the country faces two issues: first, the limited number of rural housing development plans, and second, the high volume of deteriorated housing in the countryside. The province of Kurdistan currently has 121,238 rural housing units, which face numerous weaknesses in terms of quality and quantity. To this end, the present study seeks to answer the following question: How were the social, economic and physical effects of the Special Housing Improvement Project implemented in the rural areas of Kurdistan province? Methodology The present study is an applied one and descriptive-analytical in nature and method. The statistical population of the research is 38,467 renovated rural housing units in the province. Data were collected through library and field study methods. Based on cluster sampling method, three cities of Qorveh, Kamyaran and Sarvabad were selected. Cochran's formula was used to determine the number of samples and 316 individuals were determined. The validity of the questionnaires was assessed by experts and Cronbach's alpha was used to determine its reliability. To analyze the data, one-sample t-test and significance-performance (IPA) technique were used. Results and discussion The results of the t-test on the social dimension of rural housing show that the health component consisting of four propositions has the most desirable t-statistic with a significant level of 0.000 and mean 4.17, has the most favorable t-statistic and housing policies have had positive effects on this component. In order to examine the economic impacts of housing development policies, three components of core livelihoods, energy and fuel, and sectoral mobility, comprising 10 propositions, were used. Findings show that in all three components, the level of significance shows a desirable value (0.000). Concerning the physical dimension of housing, the findings show that the specific housing improvement plan has caused a physical transformation of the structural resistance dimension of housing. It can also be noted that the improved physical security status averaged 3.94. Conclusion Government policies have always influenced rural housing in various dimensions and reflected physical changes in the texture of these settlements. The findings showed that as a result of the implementation of the Special Improvement Plan (SIP), social transformation in rural housing has occurred and the health components have been improved qualitatively. These positive changes can be attributed to the transition from multi-family housing to single-family residence (reducing household density in residential units), the creation of sanitary spaces in the housing (kitchen, toilet and bathroom) and the separation of livestock storage spaces from households. The Special Economic Improvement Plan has had significant impacts, especially in the energy and fuel sectors, as well as on economic mobility and dynamics. But housing development policies have also had adverse effects on the economic dimension, including damage to livelihoods. With the decline in the level of new housing infrastructure, many of the spaces that are complementary to residents' economic activities have been eliminated, and somehow the livelihoods and economic structure of households have fluctuated negatively.