Consumers’ inclusion for improving affordable housing delivery in Nigeria:

This study aimed at developing how the expected level of affordable housing delivery could be achieved. It was conducted within the framework of consumers’ satisfaction on their affordable housing to determine their desired affordable housing. It employed extensive qualitative research approach through purposive sampling technique with the aid of semi-structured questionnaires. Data were collected through personal interview among 27 participants within four categories of the stakeholders. This was to allow in-depth understanding of the subject matters and help in developing grounded up theory to achieve the objective. Data analysis went through five steps namely Data Logging, Anecdotes, Vignettes, Data Coding and Thematic Network. Member checking, triangulation and audit trail techniques were used to validate the result. The result revealed that the consumers’ inclusion were not being given proper recognition in housing policymaking. The study therefore suggested workable strategies through which consumers’ inclusion in housing policymaking can be properly implemented.

INTRODUCTION:

Housing Affordability Assessment is measured by consumer’s capability of meeting housing costs without imposing extreme limitations on non-housing consumption. It employs house price to consumer’s disposable income ratio. Housing affordability problems emerge in Australia and Canada when housing costs escalate over household incomes (Crane and Warnes, 2000; Moore and Skaburskis, 2004; Yates, 2008). However, to increase housing consumers’ quality of life, housing affordability assessment should not be limited to economic viability but needs to consider some other factors. The outcome of Mulliner, Small bone, and Maliene (2013) study revealed that social and environmental criteria greatly affect areas affordability when compare with only financial attributes of the area. M. E Stone (1993) and Michael E Stone (2006) considered recognition of housing standards and household income sufficiency to cover housing and non-housing costs to measure housing affordability and uphold standard of living. Bogdon and Can (1997) supported this view and added that housing quality are what consumers acquire as dividend for whatever they expend on housing. Housing units within environment not accessible to jobs, quality facilities and infrastructures might experience low demand and abandonment to consumers of high income and educational status but only attractive to the aged or low-income consumers.

Bowman and Thompson (2009) discovered in his study that social status influences the choice of a particular residential neighborhood by different households. According to him, level of households’ satisfaction increases in accordance to their social surrounding when they live in a residential neighborhood that fits their social status. Salleh (2008) investigation on the level of housing satisfaction in low cost housing areas built by the private sector indicated that neighborhood factors in terms of provision of neighborhood facilities, safety and better environment outlook are the prevailing factors to determine housing satisfaction. According to him, most of the private developers were not encouraged in making provision for neighborhood facilities and a better environment in order to increase their profit.

CONCLUSION:

The importance of housing cannot be over emphasized and no individual should be denied of having access to decent housing. The changing dynamics of socio-economic status adds to the awareness level of low-income groups about decent affordable housing. Housing and planning regulations that ensure completed house with certain minimum and basic facilities will certainly provide better housing option for low-income households. However, government intervention was demanded not only to ease out the problems related with housing price and values, but also to let consumers voice out their needs for affordable housing.

This study was conducted to explore problems with affordable houses among consumers in Ibadan urban centers. It was not only come up with identifying several factors that influences consumers’ satisfaction on affordable housing, but the global theme opened up one straightforward issue. It revealed that, the consumers are not being given proper recognition to play their part in housing policy making. They demand to play a significant role in policymaking. This enlightened the significance of consumers’ inclusion into housing policymaking. This is with the aim of solving housing affordability problems especially among the low-income households who are the prevalent among the housing consumers in Nigerian urban centers.

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