Rural Housing Economics in Iran

A rural home is a shelter, as well as a work shed , and a place to produce .However, following the changes in the national economy and changes in urban – rural economic interactions , the role of the rural housing sector in the rural and national economy has changed significantly. These changes lso has impacted the traditional role of rural homes in the household economics of the affected population.

Economic theory recognizes the effects of rural housing sector on the level and rate of investment, employment, and production, in rural areas.

However, the result of such effects varies in different rural settlements. In Iran out of nearly 68000 villages, existed in 2006, the population of only 1200 settlements exceeded 2500 persons. These areas have experienced a population growth rate over 1.5 percent per annum. If population growth rates were chosen to categorize rural areas in three distinct categories, namely : viable, stable, and vanishing communities, the economic role of housing in each category would be different.

In this paper, following an analytical review of rural economics in the past few decades, the role of housing economic in rural economy is analyzed , and based the findings of the said reviews, the nature and the mechanisms of the impacts of the rural housing economics on rural economic growth and distribution is investigated .

Key words: Rural economics, Rural housing, Rural settlements