The population in Fiji Islands was 837,000 in 2010. Against a drop in the rate of growth of the population from 3.3% in the 1960s to 0.7%, Fiji experienced rapid urban growth during the period 2002 – 2008. As a result, the urban share of the population has grown to 51 percent, an increase of nearly 5 percent since 2002. During the five-year period, compared with a low 3 percent increase of the households in rural areas, the number of urban households has grown by nearly 12 percent1. The two larger cities of Suva and Nasinu are home to over 40 percent of the urban population. However, the population density remains low at 42 persons per km. The incidence of poverty has decreased since 2002. Yet the poverty level in Fiji remains high with 31 percent of the population living in poverty. It is important to note that urban poverty (19%) has decreased, while the poverty in rural areas (43%) has grown significantly. During 2002 and 2008, the household incomes in urban areas have shown a substantial increase of 59 percent while in rural areas incomes decreased by 11 percent. Underperforming rural economies and the promise of a better future in the city are the main drivers of rapid urban growth. Therefore these indicators signal a potential for a higher rural-urban drift that are likely to have serious implications on the already unsatisfactory housing conditions of the urban poor.

The shelter is a basic need and a key indicator of the development and social well-being of a nation. Experience has shown that housing contributes to economic growth and employment, and promotes equity and distribution. As such, as shown in the nation’s key planning and development frameworks, housing had been a development priority of the Fiji Islands since her independence and the government has formulated and implemented housing policies and strategies under its National Development Plans and National Strategic Plans. The National Housing Policy proposed here is tailored to support the national development priorities of the People’s Charter and the Roadmap for Democracy and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development (RDSSED) 2009-2014. The primary vision of the National Housing Policy is the provision of “Affordable and decent housing for all, the key to building better communities. The National Housing Policy will be in compliance with the priorities of global development in several respects. The policy will contribute to national poverty alleviation, the overarching objective of global development in the new millennium. It is built on the principles and guidelines of the United Nation’s Habitat Agenda adopted by the global community in Istanbul in 1996 and will contribute to the achievement of the time-bound targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) endorsed in the 2000 Millennium Summit, particularly, its Goal 7 Target 11, “Ensure Environmental Sustainability”. If successfully implemented, because of the positive links housing has with the wider economy, a well-functioning housing sector will promote economic growth and improvements in life quality of the people, and help to raise the relative ranking of Fiji’s Human Development Index. In recommending its policy mediations, the National Housing Policy has drawn inspiration from global best practices in human settlements development, particularly in Asia and the Pacific region.