Effective affordable housing provision in developing economies: A deductive analysis of informal housing strategies in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

In the face of numerous research efforts and policy interventions, housing the urban poor in a suitable manner has been a persistent challenge across the world. This prevailing difficulty calls for more resourcefulness in addressing affordable housing (AH) provision. To achieve this, this study thoroughly investigated the informal housing strategies of the urban poor, examining their informal housing solutions along the three main components of housing supply value chain (HSVC) - housing finance, land acquisition and housing construction. The methodology was semi-structured interviews of 40 randomly selected respondents from 5 strata of largest slums in Lagos, Nigeria. Following thematic, content, descriptive and deductive analyses of data, findings show that there are insightful lessons within the informal housing strategies of the urban poor that can inform suitable approaches to AH provision. Findings are that the urban poor are actively involved in trade unionism, microfinance institutions and cooperative societies as AH finance strategies within their informal means. The urban poor resolve their desperate housing needs through self-help incremental housing, cheap rental housing among others. Findings show that the urban poor needs shelter, which alternative housing and rental housing provide more affordably than homeownership. Insights are provided in this study on how these informal strategies of the urban poor can influence HSVC for effective affordable housing provision approaches. If these strategies inform policies with deliberate efforts made to modify and institutionalise the approaches, suitability of AH provision can be improved. Findings from this study are informative for future pro-poor housing studies. Recommendations are that informal strategies across the entire HSVC identified in this study can be modified and incorporated into housing policies towards making cities of developing economies more sustainable and inclusive.