CHALLENGES OF HOUSING FOR THE LOW INCOME EARNERS
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CHALLENGES OF HOUSING FOR THE LOW INCOME EARNERS
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
Housing is critical to quality of life, with significant economic, social, cultural, and personal implications. Though a country’s national prosperity is typically evaluated in economic terms, increasing wealth has diminishing value unless everyone can share in its benefits and the expanding income is not used to address growing social deficits, one of which is housing (Erguden, 2001).
Housing is an important factor in revitalising economic growth in any country, with shelter ranking among major indices of development (Ireri, 2010). According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the fundamental human rights is the right to a decent quality of living, which includes access to sufficient housing.
Housing as a basic human right requires urban inhabitants to have access to appropriate housing, which is described as one that promotes, rather than hinders, good physical and mental health, personal development, and the achievement of life goals (Seedhouse, 1986). This research focusses on low-income housing, also known as affordable housing.
Affordable housing refers to dwelling units whose overall housing costs are considered “affordable” to individuals with a median income. A median income is the average pay scale level of the majority of persons in a population, which is typically low.
Although the term “affordable housing” is frequently used to refer to rental housing that is within the financial reach of persons in a geographical area’s lower income brackets, the notion applies to both renters and buyers of all income levels.
Low-income housing is aimed at those who do not have enough money to provide sufficient housing for themselves and/or their families. These families are typically unable to acquire a home because they do not meet the mortgage qualification requirements.
Housing is a big concern in Nigeria, particularly in Makurdi. Millions of people live in huge slums, as well as other informal communities. Informal settlements and slums in Makurdi have continued to increase at an alarming rate, both in number and population. Table 1.1 shows the increase in informal settlements in Makurdi between 2011 and 2015.
Table 1.1 shows the growth of informal settlements in Makurdi.
Year Number of Informal
settlements.
Population. Percentage of the urban population. 2011 36 167,000 33 2012 50 200,000 40 – 50 2013 78 789,991 55 2015 134 1,886,166 60
Source: Benue State Urban Archives (2015).
“Informal settlements” is a broad and technical phrase that refers to the various characteristics of the settlements that house many of the urban poor in emerging countries.
The name emphasises that the primary aspect of such settlements is their informality, or the fact that they emerge outside of the conventional legal and regulatory frameworks.
Informal settlements are sometimes referred to as “unplanned” or “spontaneous” settlements, which is deceptive because many informal settlements are planned, if not conventionally, and are not all spontaneous (World Bank, 2003).
In Nigeria, demand for housing far outstrips availability, particularly in urban areas plagued by poor planning, leading in an expansion in informal settlements with substandard homes and limited infrastructure services.
Nigeria’s housing market has long experienced a significant supply difficulty for both public and private sector participants. With approximately 35,000 housing units available in metropolitan areas, the shortage remains significant due to an annual demand of 150,000 units (Terkula, 2010).
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