Abstract
This study examines the impact of poverty on housing in the urban area of Gwagwalada of the FCT, Abuja. The data for the study were derived from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were derived mainly from the administration of questionnaire. Stratified random sampling technique was used to administer the questionnaire to the respondents in the study area based on the income of the respondents expressed as high, middle and low income area. A total of six hundred (600) questionnaire were administered in the study area of which one hundred (100) questionnaire were administered in the high income area, two hundred (200) questionnaire were administered to middle income area while three hundred (300) questionnaire were administered to low income area. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and simple inferential statistics. The findings revealed that poverty has a lot of negative impacts on the housing condition in the study area. This find expression in the fact that majority of the respondents have not been able to maintain their houses and live close to their work places. As a result of the fact that more people live in the low income area, a lot of pressure are exerted on the few available facilities. The study suggested some possible measures of addressing the housing poverty in the study area.
Highlights
Nigeria exemplifies the paradox of rich nation populated by poor people
Table 1a. shows the level of income of the respondents in the study area. it reveals that majority of the people in the low income area earn below N18000 while in the middle and high income area, only 6% and 0.17% earned below N18000 respectively
The study reveals that low income area has the highest percentage (20.17%) of the respondents who have been staying in the study area for over 16 years followed by 16.83 % of the respondents staying the study area between 11 and 15 years and followed by middle income area with 10.50% of the respondents and high income area with 6.33% of the respondents staying in the study area between 11 and 15 years
Summary
Nigeria exemplifies the paradox of rich nation populated by poor people. Studies of the problems of poor people and communities, and of the obstacles and opportunities to improving their situation, have led to an understanding of poverty as a complex set of deprivations (Fukuda-Parr, 2006). For large percentage of the population there is no food, housing and health security. Life in Nigeria involves a daily struggle against hunger and a total lack of housing and health facilities. Housing development has not kept pace with urban growth leading to severe overcrowding, congestion and slums. Life in slums is characterized by serious problems of environmental pollution, lack of access to the basic social services, poverty, deprivation, crime, violence, and general human insecurity and life threatening risks and diseases
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