This paper explores the potential shortcomings in the owner-driven model of housing reconstruction in
urban settlements affected by disasters. The owner-driven model has been widely adopted in recent
post-disaster housing reconstruction projects. While the advantages of this model over other models such as
donor-driven or state-driven models are discussed in hazard literature, discussions over the potential
shortcomings of this model are scant. Looking at the experiences of post-earthquake reconstruction in Bhuj
in India and Bam in Iran, the paper sheds light on the inadequacies of the owner-driven model in housing
recovery and their unintended consequences for households and the urban fabric.
The paper suggests three main arguments based on the ways the owner-driven model has been conceived,
formulated, and practiced in two post-earthquake housing recovery projects. The first argument is
that the owner-driven model should be conceived as one component of a holistic housing recovery programme.
The second argument revolves around the shortcomings of the standardized arrangements of the
owner-driven model. The last argument identifies practical problems that prevailed in the two projects.
While acknowledging the advantages of the owner-driven model, the paper concludes by advocating a
more holistic, nuanced, and inclusive housing recovery programme in disaster-stricken urban settlements
for responding the complexities of housing recovery in urban setting.