A civil society organisation, Leadership Orientation and Basic Rights Advocacy Centre (LOBRAC), has called for the provision of affordable social housing and legislation to regulate rents in Anambra State.
LOBRAC’s Executive Director, Stanley Okafor, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka.
Okafor said the rising cost of accommodation, particularly within the Awka Capital Territory, required urgent intervention to make housing more accessible to residents.
He said LOBRAC was ready to partner with the Anambra State Government to address the rising cost of housing and improve residents’ access to affordable accommodation.
According to him, the organisation also plans to collaborate with the state legislature on the development of a rent control and regulation bill for consideration and passage.
Okafor said the group had written to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to highlight the difficulties residents face in securing affordable accommodation.
He said the governor responded to the letter, adding that the organisation appreciated his response and his disposition towards supporting vulnerable residents.
LOBRAC had also met with the Commissioner for Housing, Henry Arinze, to discuss the need to control and regulate rents as well as address the activities of unlicensed housing agents.
Okafor said the meeting did not produce the desired outcome but stressed that the organisation would continue advocating policies aimed at improving the welfare and living conditions of residents.
An investigation by NAN showed that rents had increased significantly in Isu-Aniocha, Okpuno, Mgbakwu and other suburbs of Awka.
A one-room self-contained apartment that previously rented for about N150,000 now costs around N300,000.
Similarly, rent for a two-bedroom flat has increased from about N400,000 to between N600,000 and N800,000.
A three-bedroom apartment that previously went for about N500,000 now attracts between N1 million and N1.5 million.
In highbrow areas such as Ngozika, Udoka, Amawbia and Agu-Awka, a two-bedroom apartment now costs about N1.2 million, compared with the previous N800,000.
Three-bedroom apartments in those areas now attract N1.5 million and above, compared with previous rents of between N1 million and N1.2 million.
