Housing Solutions in a Megacity Like Lagos
Lagos, like most megacities, is driven by a fast-paced lifestyle and plagued with housing challenges. Living in Lagos and finding a reasonably priced and decent accommodation within a sane environment, is now somewhat difficult.
According to a BBC report, Lagos has a “housing deficit of more than 17 million units” With about 21 million people living in Lagos, and more emigrating daily, it’s no wonder there’s a huge gap in meeting accommodation needs.
To achieve a considerably affordable housing solution for the average Lagosian, more innovation and creativity are needed.
Here are 3 housing solutions a megacity like Lagos could explore.
1) Monthly payment housing scheme: Getting a good apartment in Lagos is incredibly expensive, especially for the younger generation. Most people spend about 80% of their monthly income on saving towards rent which should not be ideal. And yet, all over Lagos are empty apartments that are highly priced and above the light pockets of millennials. Adopting a monthly payment rent scheme can go a long way in helping ease up our accommodation issues.
2) Affordable housing projects: This is what initiatives like the House Up Lagos contest are aimed at – creating innovative housing solutions on a budget. This contest is built on the premise that if the development of housing is attainable at its lowest cost possible, there’s a chance rent can be more affordable for the state’s residents. More projects based on affordable housing are needed in the nearest future to help tackle the city’s challenges.
3) Refurbished Container Houses: Refurbished container houses are becoming more mainstream and fashionable. They’re eco-friendly, cost-effective, easy to build, and could be a great way to solve Lagos housing problems.
