By Ekweaga Uzoma
A Civil Society Organisation, LOBRAC, Awka, has called on the Anambra State Government to urgently address the rising cost of accommodation across the state, particularly in Awka.
The organisation, led by its leader, Mr Okafor Stanley, made the call during a visit to the Commissioner for Housing, Arc. Arize Henry, at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex, Awka, on Aug. 19.
Okafor said the visit was aimed at drawing the attention of the government to the alarming increase in house rents, which he said had continued to place a heavy burden on residents, particularly low and middle income earners.
He said the organisation was working to bring together key stakeholders, including government representatives, landlords, tenants and other relevant groups, to deliberate on possible solutions to the challenge.
According to him, there was a need for an appropriate regulatory mechanism to monitor rental charges, protect tenants and ensure acceptable standards in the housing sector.
Responding, Arize welcomed the initiative and commended the organisation for drawing attention to the housing challenges confronting residents of the state.
The commissioner, however, cautioned against relying solely on direct rent control, saying such measures could have unintended consequences, including landlords keeping their properties vacant or manipulating the system.
He said increasing the supply of houses and residential buildings remained a more sustainable approach to moderating rental prices.
Arize said the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo had taken steps to address the housing deficit through the allocation of land to about seven estate developers for housing development.
He, however, regretted that some of the developers had yet to utilise the allocated land as expected, leaving some areas undeveloped.
The commissioner assured the organisation that the ministry would give renewed attention to the issue, disclosing that construction of a Public Servants Housing Project would soon commence at Ebenebe.
He also disclosed plans to construct three units of students’ hostels at the COOUTH campus, as well as accommodation projects at Nwafor Orizu College of Education, now STEM University.
Arize said the projects were part of the ministry’s broader efforts to increase the availability of affordable accommodation and reduce pressure on the existing housing stock in the state.
He expressed optimism that sustained investment in housing development, coupled with increased participation by government and private developers, would gradually address the challenge of high accommodation costs in Anambra.
Ekweaga Uzoma is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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