Planning Implications of Housing Development in Jos Jarawa District, Jos North, Plateau State
Chapter One
AIM OF THE STUDY
This study aims to examine the planning implications of housing development in Jos-Jarawa, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State to make recommendations that will improve the housing situation in the area.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
- To examine the concept of housing.
- To examine the factors responsible for poor housing development in Jos-Jarawa.
- To examine the planning implications of housing development in Jos-Jarawa.
- To make recommendations that will improve the housing situation in the area.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The conceptual framework developed for this study is a framework for understanding and evaluating the key components and strategies for achieving sustainable housing development through planning. The Figure 1 (below) shows a graphic illustration of the framework developed in this study. A close look at the illustration will reveal that the framework is made up of the four facets of sustainable development; namely, social; economic; cultural and environmental; sustainable housing policies and programmes as well as management and resources capacity of housing developers and managers. It shows the various components of sustainable housing and proposes that at the centre of sustainable housing delivery are housing policies and programmmes, which need to incorporate economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainable development (Arc. Eziyi and Egidario, 2015). In addition, it also indicates that the formulation and development of sustainable housing policies and programmes do not necessarily translates to suitable housing without the engagement of sound implementation strategies by housing developers and managers in both the private and public sectors. This underscores the vital role of robust management and resource capacity of housing developers and managers in the successful implementation of sustainable housing policies and programmes.
CONCEPT OF HOUSING
Housing is heterogeneous good, producing a flow of services to household overtime (Aluko, 2000). It consists of a series of component that may be produced in various ways and with different costs, standards and financing option. These factors determine the total cost of the dwelling and it results in a wide range of housing types, which emphasizes the substitutability of one component for another (Can, 1991). A rise in the price of a particular component prompts a search for a way to economize on it.
Housing as unit of environment has a profound influence on man’s health, education, social behaviour, employment and productivity awareness on development opportunities, safety, crime and general well-being (Onibokun, 1985). Housing nowadays is not considered merely as an exercise in brick and mortar or providing roof over one’s head. (Dwelling unit), rather, as it connotes a symbol of relationship between man and his environment. A shelter should have some basic infrastructural facilities such as clean water, drainage and sanitary facilities, electricity, access road and basic service, besides dwelling unit (Chike-OBI, 2013 and Sekar, 1991). Therefore, the importance of providing shelter with basic utilities and services in any society cannot be over emphasized. As a matter of fact, housing reflects the level of economic development of a society (Onibokun, 1985). In general, it provides the physical framework and the environment in which the economic, social and cultural values of a society are reflected (Abd Aziz et al 2011).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
The chapter discussed the study population, sampling procedure, methods of data collection, technique of data analysis and field problem(s).
RESEARCH DESIGN/METHOD
The data for this study was obtained from two sources namely primary and secondary sources.
Primary data
This is a very important aspect of the information gathering process. The specific tools adopted include questionnaire administration, interviews, participant observation, focus group discussion and photograph. The data obtained from the respondents in the research include the use of structured questionnaire, interview guide, direct observation, a photographic and camera. These tools are used to obtain data from the field and when the use of any one of them is necessary. Almost all the building in each of the streets in the study area administer questionnaire which made up of one hundred and fifty questionnaires and a total of one hundred and forty six was retrieved. Fifteen questionnaires were distributed in each of the street which make up of one hundred and fifty questionnaires and one hundred and forty six was retrieved. To effectively distribute copies of the questionnaire, hand to hand direct administration was used and the essence was to ensure that the questionnaire gets to the sampled population. The method also afforded the researcher additional interview approach of explaining some aspects not so clear to some respondents like the less informed or enlightened.
POPULATION OF STUDY
The population of this research comprised of all the people as well as all the houses of Jos Jarawa in Jos North Local Government Area. The study area has an estimated population of 1,046 and about 286 households (National Population Commission 2006), spread over ten streets namely: Garba Atsen Street, Tomato Market, Col. Kum Street, Ajiji Aware, Ada Ajikagwon Street, Hon. Bitrus Kaze Street, Adazi Itsegok Street, Solomon Azigwom, Ezekiel Itse Street and Joshua Arin.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
FIELD DATA PRESENTATION
The main purpose of this chapter is to present and analyze the data obtained from the field in order to find out the problems associated with housing development in Jos Jarawa District and their planning implications so as to make appropriate recommendations to solve the problems.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
It was found out that the average household size was 8 and 78.8% of the houses were occupied by at least 3 households. This implies that most of the houses are occupied by more than 24 people. It was also revealed that 63.6% of the respondents had 4-6 of their household members occupying one room. Jos Jarawa is suffering from filth due to poor environmental sanitation. Most of the drains were choked with polythene bags, sand and empty tins. Most of the drains were also not engineered and due to that liquid waste is unable to flow through smoothly thereby creating stagnant waters. There were pockets of weedy surroundings which served as breeding places for mosquitoes and other diseases.
In the same vein, about 83% of the houses need urgent maintenance since the last time maintenance was carried out more than eleven years ago and most of these houses were built with sandcrete characterized with cracked walls, exposed foundations, leaked roofs and ultimately the collapse of the buildings. This is as a result of the low income status of the respondents they were unable to carry out maintenance.
Jos Jarawa District is uniformly characterized by inadequate provision of basic infrastructures and other public services necessary to sustain health, such as inaccessibility, lack of quality water and poor structural quality of housing which makes slum dwellers vulnerable to infectious diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, malaria and other water-borne diseases affecting the lives of slum dwellers. Over half of house-owners of Jos Jarawa are averagely literate, while 51% engaged in the one job to another. The entire statutory approval process, which was adjudged to be highly cumbersome and complicated, and the attitude of agency staff described by 90% of the landlords as hostile, contributes to the obstacles to efficient housing development in Jos Jarawa where the less than 30% of dweller had land approval and land agreement title documents.
Problems of house development are the products of failed policies, bad governance, corruption, inappropriate regulations, unresponsive financial systems, and lack of fundamental political will. Each of these failures adds to the toil of slum dwellers deeply bummed with poverty and health challenges.
CONCLUSION
The state of most dwellings in informal/illegal settlements is unimaginably appalling. In some places, residents are characteristically high-densely, with very limited space and the rooms usually lack adequate ventilation. Uncompleted houses that are being inhabited are common. Majority of the houses can be described as shelter rather than housing. For some residents, the living room is the sleeping room, the kitchen as well as the store. Illegal houses are neither legally recognized nor serviced by the public authorities. The study has established that slum growth in Jos Jarawa is basically a result of rural-urban migration which has fuelled urbanization in the state. Unfortunately the urbanization in Jos-North has led to the growth of primate communities. The ever-increasing urban population has resulted in housing shortage. This coupled with the authorities’ inability to provide affordable housing for the low income urban dwellers has resulted in the creation of slums in the communities as part of the urbanization process.
Many of the so-called landlords in these deprived zones have no document title to land such as Right of Occupation (R of O) Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) amongst other. This is why the houses are characterized by absence or poor maintenance of basic public utilities and infrastructure such as water, sewage systems, waste disposal, passage, electricity, sanitation and drainage. The determinants of slum health are too complex to be defined by any single parameter. Yet, they arise from a common physical and legal pedigree that concentrates ill-effects of poverty, unhealthy environment and marginalization form the formal sector. It is recognized that broad economic, social and political forces play an important role in the creation, growth and pattern of house development in Jos Jarawa District.
There is the need therefore to deal with slum growth since it may not be possible to halt urbanization. The aforementioned suggests therefore that slum control in Jos Jarawa communities require a holistic and an integrated planning approach.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The experiences gained from literature and fieldworks throughout the research have made it possible for the following recommendations to be made:
- Building of houses with sub-standard materials should be discouraged in the communities. This should be done strictly enforcing the building regulations of Plateau State. All prospective developers must receive permits before they build and all who fail to secure permits should have their structures demolished and the owners prosecuted. The Building Inspectorate Unit and the Town and Country Planning Department of Plateau State should be properly resourced, trained and empowered to carry out this responsibility.
- The Ministry of Works should be empowered by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to take full control over all lands earmarked for road construction and protect them from encroachers. Offenders of such regulations should be prosecuted. All structures which are in the right of way should be demolished to give way for the expansion of the narrow roads. Failed local roads in the slum communities should be repaired and the unpaved ones constructed.
- The Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) should embark on urban upgrading as a policy agenda. This must aim at improving urban poverty and livelihoods, generating local economic growth, and preventing the growth of new squatter settlements by guiding development and growth. In doing this, the framework for improving living conditions in informal settlements should be designed in a participatory manner with the involvement of the slum inhabitants.
- At the national level secondary cities could be introduction by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development as a counter-balance to the large primate cities which have resulted in slum growth. This is meant to be achieved through a reduction of the rate of migration from rural to large primate cities by redirecting some of the migrant population to secondary cities. The envisaged impact of this redirection on primate cities is the reduction of unemployment and pressure on urban services, and come up with policy that will enhance the affordability of new housing options by increasing access to housing finance through incentives for lenders in order to decrease the supply cost of housing and transaction costs of accessing it. This dual approach to improving affordability will minimize the size of public subsidies needed to make housing accessible to the poor.
- There is need for the revival of the policy of providing public/social housing for the low-income residents of Jos where residentswill be allow to pay for their homes over a long period of time.
- On-site upgrading of slums through the provision/improvement of infrastructure and social amenities at Jos North and other slums of Plateau. This remains the most economical and humane means of helping the urban poor obtain access to better housing. When it is inevitable, slum clearance should be carried out humanely and with proper regard for the rights of the individuals and families involved. This entails the issuance of sufficient notice to the affected people and the provision of adequate and functional alternative housing for those being re-located. Essential infrastructure and amenities like schools, health facilities, etc., should be made available.
- There is need for effective monitoring and development control by the Jos Metropolitan development board to proactively prevent the development of slum in the area.
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