Impact of Slum on Value of Residential Properties in Nigeria: A Case Study of Cross River State
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The main objective of the study is to ascertain the impact of slum on value of residential properties in Nigeria. However for the successful completion of the study, the following sub objectives were put forward by the researcher:
(i)To examine the impact of slum on value of residential property in cross rivers state.
(ii) To identify the causes of slum formation in cross rivers state.
(iii) To examine the relationship between slum formation and the value of residential properties.
(iv) To evaluate the degrees of health effect that can be caused when the residential properties in cross river state are being overcrowded.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
A slum is a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing and squalor while slums differ in size and other characteristics, most lack reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, law enforcement and other basic services. Slum residences vary from shanty houses to professionally built dwellings that because of poor-quality construction or provision of services have deteriorated into slums.
Slums are home to the poorest of urban populations in Africa. The houses inhabited by slum dwellers are mostly decrepit, overcrowded, in neighbourhoods that are prone to flooding and beset with poor sanitation and shortage of potable water. Urbanization refers to specific changes in the structure and distribution of urban population as well as in size and character of a settlement. Slums are easily formed in areas experiencing rapid urbanization without commensurate increase in the provision and maintenance of housing and infrastructure. Slums have been conceptualized as a group of buildings or an area characterized by overcrowding, deterioration, insanitary conditions or absence of basic and essential facilities like potable water, drainage system, schools, health facilities, recreational grounds, post office, among others. Slums generate spontaneously and are in some cases a direct result of the prevalence of poverty experienced by the inhabitants of cities. Slums which are regarded as an element of urban decay also result from congestion in overcrowded cities where poor immigrants seek to settle for just any available accommodation irrespective of quality. The overwhelming negatives notwithstanding there are some positive aspects to slums. Because slums are characterized by very high density of housing, it’s environmental impact is smaller than that of dispersed rural communities. Furthermore, the fertility rate of new slum dwellers is below the replacement rate; this mitigates dangers associated with overpopulation that results from manpower-intensive subsistence agriculture and frees up arable land for the nature or more efficient industrialized agriculture. Slum dwellers also appear to have vastly better opportunities for getting jobs, starting small businesses and climbing out of poverty than rural inhabitants. Nigeria is ranked as one of the countries with high slum prevalence. The proliferation of shanty dwellings, squatter settlements and slums in most of our cities in Nigeria and other less developed nations of the world is attributed to a chain of factors. Of course such factors are closely associated with the low level of socio-economic and cultural lifestyles of the inhabitants. Slum is also known as a heavily populated urban area characterized by substandard housing and squalor. This straightforward definition reflects the essential physical and social features of slums. Generally, slums in the traditional sense includes housing areas that were once desirable but which deteriorated after the original dwellers moved on to new and better parts of the city. The condition of the old homes declined as they were progressively subdivided and rented out to lower income people. A slum is also a heavily congested and often poorly built temporary human settlement, mostly with no security of tenure and prone to antisocial activities which is characterized by a shortage of safe drinking water, inadequate power supply, lack of proper sanitation and scarce medical and social facilities. The settlements are mostly erected using plastic sheets, mud walls, tin sheets or cardboards which often leak during rains and are very risky in case of fire outbreaks. These settlements are also destroyed by local authorities or land owners at frequent intervals. The narrow and winding paths of slums provide a favorable environment for criminal and antisocial activities because the area becomes almost inaccessible to security forces. Chasing and capturing criminals in slums is difficult as they have better knowledge of the escape routes and hideouts. Utilities are mostly non-existent and there are often pools of stagnant dirty fluids along with rubbish dumps. The drainage system is open and poorly maintained and that often mixes with drinking water due to leakages in pipes. This exposes the residents of slums to various ailments and diseases. The definition also encompasses housing areas that were once respectable or even desirable but have since deteriorated as the owners have moved to new or better areas of the cities.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information for the study effect of slum on property value. The researcher randomly select 200 staff federal ministry of land and housing as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of slum on property values.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of the effect of slum on property value.
Summary
The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effect of slum on property value. Other secondary objectives guided the collection of primary data. A review of existing literature on the subject of property value as well as slum effect was presented in chapter two. This review explored important issues relating to the concept of property valuation, the classification of the functions of the property valuer. Beside the secondary data, a primary data was gathered through the use of questionnaires from the sampled population selected for this study. A total of 133 respondents contributed to the findings of this study.
Conclusion
Development is the inevitable destiny of our cities. Sustainable development is a big jump in order to have a world that not only gives services but it can also maintain itself. Slums is the side effect of unsustainable development started in the last decades. Due to its hysteresis effect, even if we remove the factor and develop the planners view point, we can still see Slums in big cities. Ignoring the problem does not solve the problem.
Recommendations
The researcher recommends that government should make more facilities for those who have not migrated yet in their original places. And for those who already live in the Slums, the government should legalize them and find better ways of living for them to tackle their problems. The solutions mentioned in this article are based on social justice, human values, avoiding ready prescriptions, people surveys, longterm and big plans beside instant solutions.
Reference
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- Ann Arbor, MI. Albouy, David. 2010. “What Are Cities Worth? Land Rents, Local Productivity, and the Capitalization of Amenity Values.” University of Michigan Working Paper.
- Ananat, Elizabeth Oltmans. 2009. “The Wrong Side(s) of the Tracks: The Causal Effects of Racial Segregation on Urban Poverty and Inequality.” Working paper. Anderson, Martin. 1964.
- The Federal Bulldozer: A Critical Analysis of Urban Renewal, 1949-1962. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Arnold, Martin. 1962. “State Fights Bias in City Renewals.” New York Times, August 30: 17.
- Bartik, Timothy J. 1991. Who Benefits from State and Local Economic Development Policies?