Abstract
The provision of decent accommodation is a major challenge to government in the developing nations. It is a common phenomenon in the urban centres of the developing nations where most houses are in deplorable conditions. The houses are overcrowded with little or no air space between them. There is no basic sanitation in the urban centres as they lack flush toilet, some of the few available flush toilets are piped into seasonal streams, most houses lack defined kitchen areas and healthy sewage disposal method. The cities lack good access roads and functional drainage system with a common practice of environmentally-unfriendly solid waste management methods that create various health challenges to urban dwellers. The aim of the study is to show how in-situ Housing method of slum rehabilitation can be applied through Public/Private Partnership to upgrade houses within a major slum area in Yenagoa. This shall be done with an agreement between the property owners, Real Estate investors and the state government. Basic Research Methodology was applied using questionnaire, direct observation and personal interview techniques to collect data. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied to analyse data through the use of tables and charts. The findings in the study showed that poor housing condition seriously degrade the environmental quality of the study area. The standard of living in the area is very poor as the people lack access to decent accommodation, basic sanitation and social amenities.
Highlights
The environmental quality of cities in Nigeria is below an appreciable level where most neighbourhoods are characterized by poor housing conditions generally described as slums
There is no basic sanitation in the urban centres as they lack flush toilet, some of the few available flush toilets are piped into seasonal streams, most houses lack defined kitchen areas and healthy sewage disposal method
The implication of the above findings of the study is that residents of the area cannot save adequate funds to afford decent accommodation due to the high financial stress on household heads created by high dependency ratio
Summary
The environmental quality of cities in Nigeria is below an appreciable level where most neighbourhoods are characterized by poor housing conditions generally described as slums. According to [2], one third of urban population in the developing countries today lack adequate housing, safe water and sanitation. It has been noted [3] that slum dwellers live in overcrowded and un-serviced neighbourhoods which are often situated on marginal and dangerous land. The capital of Bayelsa State of Nigeria which was created on the 1st of October, 1996 is not an exception. It has been observed [7] that Yenagoa lacks affordable housing and basic sanitation due to indiscriminate housing development.
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