HOUSING PROBLEMS IN A UNIVERSITY TOWN A CASE STUDY OF EKPOMA

INTRODUCTION

  • Every human being needs a place to live just as much as they require food and clothing (Aribigbola, 2006:53). It is absolutely necessary for human well-being, survival, and health (Fadamiro et al, 2004). As a result, housing is an excellent indication of a person’s standard of living and social status. The social standing of a person can be influenced or determined by the style of housing he lives in. It was emphasized by Kehinde (2010) that shelter is essential to human existence. A person’s ability to get a place of their own is a key component of their ability to live in an environment that is both safe and comfortable. Because of this, poor living conditions can have a negative impact on a person’s health, safety, and privacy. Invariably, the housing sector’s performance is used as a gauge of a nation’s health (see Amdii, 1993; Angel, 2000; Blunt and Dawling, 2006; Charles, 2003; and Sulyman, 2000).
    WHO (1961) suggested that the following items should be included in every excellent home:
    An effective rain-deflecting roof
  • Good walls and doors to keep out harsh weather and animals are essential.
  • In hot weather, it’s a good idea to put up sunshades around the house to shield it from the sun.
  • To keep away insects like house flies and mosquitoes, install wire netting over the windows and doors.
  • For the most part, housing quality can be assessed by looking at factors such as how aesthetically pleasing a home is to look at, how well-built it is structurally, how strong its roof is, and how well it is protected from the elements. As a result, low environmental standards are caused by inadequate housing, both in terms of quality and quantity.
    Described housed as both a product and a process by Mandelker and Motgomery (1973). In terms of the structure, design, space, lighting, heating, and sanitary amenities, housing is the end product of the construction activity. When it comes to the process of building homes, this includes community planning, urban planning, and environmental protection. Also included in this category are building, restoration, maintenance, and alterations. Therefore, all of these variables have an impact on a country’s housing supply. Agbola (1998) pointed out that the process of housing delivery encompasses the manufacture of new housing, the renovation of existing units, and the distribution of both new and existing housing to those who demand it.

Poor and rich countries alike, as well as developed and developing countries, face the same housing crisis. Across the globe, there are issues related with housing. A lack of housing (both qualitatively and quantitatively), homelessness, and a lack of access to building land are only a few examples of the many issues that affect people’s lives in the United States. Poverty, rapid urbanization, the high cost of construction materials, and inadequate building technologies all contribute to the country’s housing deficit. Even while some states and the federal government have intervened to provide mass housing, only the wealthy and privileged can afford it, according to Kabir (2004) Mr. Ogbonnaya said that the government’s engagement includes the foundation of a federal housing authority as well as the establishment of the Federal Mortgage Bank in Nigeria. It was his opinion that the housing situation in Nigeria remained dire despite government efforts to address it and that long-term housing development was severely impeded.
From the colonial era to the present day, Nigeria has seen a variety of housing initiatives, policies, and tactics arise. It was only in 2000 that the United Nations declared that “housing for all by the year 2000” would be achieved. According to the declaration, the housing problem might be rectified within the stated time range. So in 1991, Nigeria’s National Housing Policy was issued to provide possible remedies for the country’s housing issues. As a starting point, the strategy sought to offer inexpensive housing for Nigerian families in a living setting. Many Nigerians are still homeless twenty-four years after the policy was enacted and fourteen years after 2000, while others live in squalid conditions. In light of the foregoing, this study investigates Nigeria’s housing woes, including an evaluation and criticism.

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