Housing campaign gone wrong? – Internet Tribune

Supporting and organizing economically equitable policies is the cornerstone of building a fair housing system in Nigeria.

In a situation where the population is estimated at 250 million and the federal government has not delivered 10,000 apartments for many years, the same government, although acting after itself, is celebrated with paltry praise and various awards.

Let’s be clear: as a supporter of fair and equitable housing, you cannot be seen as benefiting directly or indirectly from government largesse or patronage. This may be done under the guise of event sponsorship, business patronage or even a “brown envelope”

Housing is the foundation of opportunity. However, Nigeria’s housing landscape is segregated by past and present housing policies and practices that divide resources and differentiate opportunities at the neighborhood level – rich and poor (Morocco and Oniru).

For decades, low-income people and underserved communities in Nigeria have been excluded from decision-making around housing policies and practices due to years of systemic exclusion and disinvestment.

Extensive research has demonstrated the beneficial impact that safe, stable, energy-efficient and affordable housing has on our lives. Affordable housing provides children with academic stability, adults with job opportunities, families and individuals with physical and emotional security, and serves as the fabric of our communities and neighborhoods. Neighborhoods offering a variety of housing options meet a wide range of residents’ needs, from essential service providers (teachers, law enforcement officers, doctors, etc.), young families, older adults and people with disabilities.

For the above reasons, stakeholders must strongly advocate for increasing the supply of affordable housing to meet the unmet housing needs of Nigerians. The reason for this is not very far-fetched – there is no state, local government, or jurisdiction in the country that has a sufficient number of affordable and accessible homes for low-income people.

From our side, using the Mr. platform. Housing, we will continue to encourage a movement of tenants, homeowners and allies to address Nigeria’s affordable housing and displacement crisis, strengthen tenants’ rights, respond to harmful public policies, and shift the narrative from housing as a commodity to housing as a right. human. Our core strategy is to build and support the infrastructure needed for a powerful grassroots movement for housing justice.

For us, success will be when income brackets no longer predict the likelihood of experiencing excessive rent, homelessness, and living in areas of concentrated poverty – when we eliminate these things for people completely.

Faleti is an international housing finance specialist and a certified international real estate specialist

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