Assessment of Various Housing Programmes
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives
The aim of this research is to assess the extent to which various housing programmes have succeeded to ensure the provision of sustainable housing programmmes in the State.
- To examine broadly the level of success of the past various housing programmes in addressing the housing needs and demand of Nigerians as well as the people of the study area.
- To examine how easy it has been to gain access to land and capital towards various housing development.
- To assess generally and also within the context of the NNHP the contributions of government agencies and private sector in housing supply between 1987 and 2007.
- To outlined and recommend some principles of public and private sector housing development measures aimed at achieving sustainable housing programmes in Nigeria and the study area in general.
Chapter Two
Literature Review
Conceptual Framework
Concept of Housing Programme
According to Article No. 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every individual has a fundamental human right to housing that ensures access to a safe, secure, habitable and affordable home with freedom from forced eviction. Thus, the Human Right to adequate housing is the right of every individual male, female, young, old, child, rich or poor to acquire and sustain a secure home to live in peace and dignity. The Right to Housing is codified as a Human Right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which stipulates that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and wellbeing of himself and of his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions”.
In order to clarify the meaning and scope of the right to housing as expressed in the Covenant, in 1991, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the body that monitors the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, issued its general comment that “ the Right to Housing applies to everyone. The phrase “himself and his family” does not refer to any limitation in right to housing to individuals, or over groups. Furthermore, individuals as well as families are entitle to adequate housing regardless of age, economic status, group or other affiliation or status, and employment and the right must not be subject to any form of discrimination”(CESCR, 1991)
The right to housing can also be interpreted in a broad and inclusive sense as the right to live in “security, peace and dignity” rather than in a narrow or restrictive sense. Therefore, right to housing is inextricably linked to other fundamental human rights and should be seen as referring to not only housing but adequate housing.
There are seven principles that are fundamental to human right to housing which includes:
Security of Tenure:
Residence should possess a degree of security of tenure that guarantees protection against forced evictions, harassment and other threats including predatory redevelopment and displacement.
Availability of Services, Materials, Facilities and Infrastructures:
Housing must provide certain facilities essential for health, security, comfort and nutrition. For instance, residence must have access to safe drinking water, heating and lighting, washing facilities, means of food storage and sanitation.
Affordability:
Housing costs should be as such a level that the attainment and satisfaction of other basic needs are not threatened or compromised. For example, one should not have to choose between paying rent and buying food.
Habitability:
Housing must provide its residence adequate space that protects them cold, damp, heat, rain, wind or other threats to health; structural hazards, and diseases.
Accessibility:
Housing must be accessible to all. And disadvantaged and vulnerable groups must be accorded full access to housing resources.
Location:
Housing should not be built on polluted sites, or in immediate proximity to pollution sources that threaten the right to health of its residence. The physical safety of residents must be guaranteed as well. Similarly, housing must be in a location which allows access to employment opportunities, heath care services and other social facilities.
Cultural Adequacy:
Housing and housing policies must guarantee the expression of cultural identity and diversity, including preservation of cultural landmark, institutions or redevelopment. Modernization programmes must ensure that the cultural significance of housing and communities is not sacrificed.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with two major areas: the Area of the research, the design and methodology used in this study. The chapter deals with the description of the procedure adopted in carrying out this research. It also reveals the structuring of the research instrument I sampling procedure and method of analysis.
Research Design
This study adopted a Descriptive/simple survey research design. A survey research design according to Osuala (2001) centers on individual and their opinion, belief, motivation and behavior. The design was considered suitable since the study will solicit information from respondents in Akwa Ibom State.
Area of Study:
This study was conducted in Akwa Ibom State.
Research method:
The Sample Survey Design method would be used in this study. This is to say that the views and opinions of selected members of the real estate companies in Akwa Ibom on the subject matter would be collected for analysis.
Method of Data Collection:
The instrument used in collecting data for this research work would be the questionnaire. This research instrument was chosen because of its convenience when compared to other methods considering the number and nature of respondents that would be reached.
Population of the study
The population of the study for this research project would include ten (10) real estate companies in Akwa Ibom capital of Akwa Ibom State.
Sample and Sampling techniques
In this study, the researcher would be adopting the probability sampling method but would specifically adopt random sampling technique. The sample for the study Consist of 100 staff of three real estate companies (Geesly real estate, Jomaco real estate companies and Apico real estate companies) drawn from the population using random sampling technique. The sample was made up of both male and female staff.
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation
Introduction
This chapter deals with the presentation and analysis of data obtained from the administration of the instrument (questionnaire) of the study. The data are arranged following the order of the research questions that guided the study.
DATA PRESENTATION
The teachers and students of the secondary schools were asked to tick the age bracket they fall into as stated in the questionnaire.
Table 4.1 Response to age of teachers and students in the secondary schools.
Chapter Five
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
Summary
This research work was carried out to determine the assessment of various housing programme in Nigeria, A case study of Akwa Ibom State. Four research question and Objectives were formulated in the course of this work, Descriptive and survey research design were used. Population of the study were ten real estate companies but three real estate companies were selected through random sampling techniques and size with a total number of 100 staff. Thus the findings shows that; That there is an extent to which the various housing programmes succeed to addressing needs and demand of the citizens within Akwa Ibom, that access to land and capital constitute a problem to various housing programs in the study area considering the commercial pressure faced by this sector, that the government agencies and the private sector contribute to the housing supply in Akwa Ibom and there is a recommended principles of public and private sector housing development measures aimed at achieving sustainable housing programmes in Nigeria and the study area in general.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Housing is a basic necessity of life without prejudice for economic condition. In spite of this, housing problem is universal. In Nigeria it exists in urban and rural places. Housing problem in urban places takes the form of slum dwelling, homelessness, overcrowding, squatter settlements and substandard housing units. In the rural areas, poor housing quality, deficient environmental condition as well as inadequate infrastructural facilities are the order of the day. Policy instrument is one of the ways of tackling housing problems. In this sense, the Nigerian Housing Policy was promulgated in 1991 in order to address housing problems. The programmes of action in the policy include construction technology, housing finance, land and infrastructure, building materials, labour management, housing allocation, monitoring and review.
The Nigerian housing policy was well conceived with the fundamental elements of feasibility, affordability and limited time frame required for the completion of the programmes. To some extents, the various policies and programmes of housing in Nigeria have been able to make significant improvements in housing production and delivery. The housing policies provided guidelines for housing construction, maintenance and delivery. Nevertheless, the policies and programmes are besieged by shortcomings like poverty, ever-increasing costs of construction and building materials, homelessness, weak institutional frameworks for housing delivery, administrative bottlenecks in plan approval and collection of certificate of occupancy, programme monitoring as well as review.
Thus recommendation, were as follows;
- The major aim of housing policy is to solve housing problems. In order to achieve this, there is the necessity to enhance the workability of the policy. Consequently, the Nigerian housing policy should be reviewed periodically in order to make it functional and acceptable. Apart from this, in order to attain effective housing delivery, there should be access to land, finance and building materials. This should be complemented by provision of infrastructure, housing maintenance, as well as the encouragement of insurance companies in building and selling of houses at affordable prices. Also, the implementation of housing policy should take cognizance of low income earners. Consequently, there should be provision of low cost houses for low income families.
- In considering the low income earners, local building materials should be encouraged. Moreover, realistic housing objective must consider slum upgrading, periodic repair and maintenance, as well as urban renewal. Housing delivery strategies should include institutional frameworks, housing finance, low income rural housing and urban prototype government housing. Apart from government intervention, the private sector should be encouraged in housing production with the aid of incentives, loans and subsidies. In addition, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria that is saddled with the responsibility of guiding and controlling the operations of mortgage institution should be empowered financially so as to perform more regulatory functions in the housing market.
- Furthermore, building land should be readily available and accessible to potential builders. Similarly, the process of building plan approval and issuance of certificate of occupancy should be made faster and less cumbersome. Also, mass production of building material should be encouraged. This will make the materials to be affordable to the poor. Apart from mass housing, another feasible solution to housing problem is to encourage individuals to
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