Shelter, food, and clothing are essential for human survival and well-being. Quality housing provides protection and impacts an individual’s social standing and quality of life. It is essential for governments to prioritise addressing housing needs to ensure the health and stability of society. The housing problem continues to impact the nation, presenting various challenges in rural and urban settings. Rural areas mainly need help with accommodation quality, with many homes built poorly, using substandard materials and needing more essential amenities.
On the other hand, urban areas experience a shortage of apartments in terms of quantity, leading to problems like homelessness, overcrowding, slums, and squatting. For example, in Lagos, urban spaces are densely populated. The accommodation crisis in the region has worsened due to the fast urbanisation, increasing population, and rising social standards. Various issues, including poverty, discrimination against indigenous Construction materials, ineffective financing systems for living quarters, insufficient tools for raising housing funds, and the expensive nature of construction materials, worsen the difficulties of providing housing.
National housing policy will be prioritised to address the living crisis.
Moreover, limitations such as limited Infrastructure and bureaucratic barriers to land acquisition, certificate processing, and building approval only add to the complexity of the problem. Solutions may lie in policies, which are official guidelines established by authorities or organisations to address and resolve specific issues. Every sector in the Economy has its own set of policies aimed at solving different problems, including the home sector. For instance, the country has implemented an accommodation policy as part of its town planning strategy to tackle major living challenges and promote sustainable development.
Urban and rural areas benefit from town planning, which focuses on arranging land use in an organised, cost-effective way conducive to various activities such as living, working, recreation, and mobility. The region’s ultimate accommodation policy aims to address the country’s living crisis. This can be achieved by ensuring that the policy remains adaptable and is regularly evaluated to ensure its effectiveness and importance. In addition to policy revisions, improving access to land, finance, and construction materials is crucial to enhance delivery. Improving infrastructure and maintaining residences is crucial, and involving the Insurance industry in building homes can help make them more affordable.
Providing affordable apartments for low-income earners is essential.
The accommodation policy must prioritise low-income earners. Ensuring affordable apartment options for this group is crucial, and utilising local building materials should be emphasised to increase accessibility and affordability. A businesswoman once lamented, “My house rent is taking most of my gain from my little business; if the government can find a way to reduce the rent cost, it will improve the national economy, and things in the market will be lesser. All things work together when it comes to the economy. ” Her words resonate with many people struggling with high rents, highlighting the broader economic impact of unaffordable accommodation.
Establishing robust institutional frameworks is essential for successful shelter delivery in the country. Accessibility and efficiency in living Finance are especially critical for low-income families in rural and urban areas. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) plays a vital role in overseeing and setting guidelines for mortgage institutions. However, the FMBN needs increased financial Empowerment to enhance its regulatory capabilities and impact on the accommodation market. Moreover, ensuring accessible land is available for construction and simplifying the process for approving building plans and certificates of occupancy can accelerate apartment development and eliminate the red tape currently holding back the industry.
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Lastly, it is essential that the government strongly supports industry groups like the Building Materials Producers Association of Nigeria (BUMPAN) and the Real Estate Development Association of Nigeria (REDAN). These associations are critical in coordinating and fulfilling the country’s accommodation requirements. Public policy decision-makers need to acknowledge the significance of policy research in delivering residences. This research needs to assess the effectiveness of accommodation policy goals and objectives by analysing how they are carried out, monitored, and periodically assessed. Researching the impact of the policies is essential to create Sustainable Solutions that benefit the citizens.