By Kingsley Chikwendu & Jummai Abu,
Viewpoint Media crew visited area 10 Garki in the FCT to get people’s opinions on how affordable are their houses as compared to their monthly or annual income and also talked about how workable will it be for the Government and other relevant authorities to make an affordable fixed rental policy. In a way of creating affordable housing for Nigerians.
Elijah Marcos, a resident of Lugbe Airport road in Abuja, stated that ‘’The prices of houses to rent are high. Honestly, like for a self-contain, we pay a Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000) and to me, it is too high. It is supposed to be like Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000). Let me say from what I am earning monthly, a self-contain supposed to be Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000) but, I pay a Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira (N120,000).
The economy has made cost of building too high for a common man and if you can’t pay your rent, landlords are ready to wait for other persons that can afford them. No electricity system, bad roads and bad drainage systems and these landlords are still collecting this amount of money.
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Can the government have a regulation that will enforce all house owners to have an affordable fixed rate across particular areas in a bid to make it easier for renters to pay?
I know the government can do it but, they will not. Some of these authorities are landlords in other places. They will not agree because it is going to affect them too. So, instead of them to agree, they will kick against it. They only care about themselves.
Sarah Wilson, also gave her opinion on if the government can have a regulation that will enforce all house owners to have an affordable fixed rate across particular areas to make it easier for renters to pay?
She said, it is workable if the government enforces a law to it, I think all the landlord association can come together, they do have an association, my dad is one of them. I think they can join hands with the government and make houses affordable with the structural environments very okay. However, knowing the government of Nigeria, we don’t know if they can be serious to come about it.
If we can have a fixed rental price arrangement between the Government, Landlords and the tenants it will go a long way to reduce the incident of homelessness and forced eviction crisis we are witnessing today.
It is very workable! But since some of our landlords depend on the house rents entirely and this may be the reason they keep increasing rents. Do you know they increase rent every year? I feel like if they can help us enforce affordable fixed rents, this country will be a better place to live for everyone.
Tosin Kayode, who resides in Apo area of the FCT, saidin Apo, we have suburbs, we have the rural areas at the extreme parts of Apo, the villages, Kabusa, Gwaro, Wumba, houses there are cheap. But, if you come into areas like Apo Resettlement, houses there are quite expensive. So, I think it’s a serious issue. We call them villages, they are scattered settlements and the way the houses are built there, cannot be compared to Apo Resettlement that are mostly block houses.
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Houses in these scattered settlements are mostly red mud ones and the roofing, you can’t compare them with the Apo Resettlements and other estates around there. So, that is the reason the prices are different.
Can the government have a regulation that will enforce all house owners to have an affordable fixed rate across particular areas to make it easier for renters to pay?
In terms of providing affordable accommodation for all Nigerians, it is good. Like in the FCT, accommodation is a big deal and a lot of people sleep on the streets, just hang around. Accommodation is a number one priority for a human. So, if the Federal Government can give an opportunity to the average Nigerians to ‘cope’, what I mean by ‘cope’ is being able to afford the house.
Abigail Johnson, also added by sayingyes, I think the Government can come in, I remember there was something similar that was done in Lagos State. They were able to put some regulations in place to check excessive rents from the Landlord to the tenants, because, there was a lot of rent increment within the State.
So, if the Government really want to, they can. They can also build houses and make them affordable. If people have houses but, no occupants, they will be forced to reduce the prices for renters. Sure, it is workable.
Goodness John, a resident of Jahi district Abuja, said ‘’The houses in my area is really high and it is a very remote area. It is not like really an open community, although, it is close to town but, it is very remote. No good roads, no water, though there is light but the houses are not affordable to an average Nigerian. It is really high. You can get a self-contain for N300,000. I don’t see how I can work for N40,000, 16 hours sitting job for a house of N300,000. It does not work out really well for me. It is very stressful; we have to take like two or more drops before we get to work. Very bad drainage system and terrible roads.
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Can the government have a regulation that will enforce all house owners to have an affordable fixed rate across particular areas to make it easier for renters to pay?
Yes, they can and that will better for all of us, because security will improve and homelessness will be a thing of the past in our nation. But I don’t know if the Government and Landlords can come together, I believe it is workable, it can be done.
