Movin: Redesigning the online rent search experience for the residential real estate space in Ghana

Applied project submitted to the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Ashesi University, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, May 2021The impact of technology in our world today is incomparable. It has become easier than ever to accomplish previously tedious tasks such as shopping for food, sending money to loved ones, and even now, finding a place to live. Concerning finding accommodation today, specifically a residential property to rent for a considerable amount of time, many digital tools have been designed to make the process simple and short. However, in Ghana, some of the tools available do not fully streamline the renting process from a custome their evaluation period and finally the end of their search, including a signed leasing agreement between themselves and the landlord or agency handling the property. This applied project proposes a web application with an improved user experience that allows: Customers to better filter through properties and view both information on properties and their respective communities, thereby reducing the many intermediary calls that traditionally occur between customers and landlords or agents working under agencies handling properties. Agencies and landlords to quickly reach a wider audience with their property listings and earn more while seamlessly communicating with interested customers. Kindly note that although all homeowners are referred to as landlords in this paper, the comments in this project apply to both landlords and landladies.Ashesi Universit

Housing Horizons: Models for Real Estate and Community Investment

Toronto’s housing system is in crisis. As we persist in maintaining this failing system, we are limiting ourselves to the possibility of creating transformational change. Toronto’s housing arena is a complex organism of competing interests and influences, reinforcing a stratification between those who benefit from it and those who do not. With limited housing choices, many Torontonians are left with few opportunities to invest in their communities and to generate personal financial wealth for their futures. Through foresight methods, systems analysis, and generative design research techniques, this project asserts that we can create change in Toronto’s housing system by transforming real estate investment into an inclusive community-building tool. Housing Horizons begins by describing the evolution of the housing arena in Canada and analyzing the dynamics at play in the current system. The research then proposes several design principles for innovation: shift the power in the development industry to smaller community-based players, create wealth-generating mechanisms suitable for renters, and foster collaboration across stakeholders in the system. A city where all citizens can thrive is only possible when the housing system contributes to the wellbeing of its entire population – this vision can be realized through strategies that level the playing field for all