Residents’ Income Status and the Condition of Basic Physical Infrastructure Facilities in Awka Public Housing Estates

Abstract

This research studies the residents’ income status and the condition of basic physical infrastructure facilities in Awka Public Housing estates. It was motivated by a desire to evaluate the status of basic infrastructure facilities in our public housing estates considering the rapid relocation of occupants to private estates and neighborhoods. It identifies the income status of residents of public housing estates in Awka and the condition of basic physical infrastructure facilities with a view to discover their relationship and planning implications on the findings. A total of five hundred and six households representing 72.3% of the total household in five habited estates in Awka, viz: Udoka, Ahocol 1 and II, Iyiagu and Real Estates were examined through a fifty four item questionnaire. Interviews were conducted on the agencies responsible for the maintenance of the selected estates. Pearsons correlation coefficient was employed in testing the postulated hypothesis. Result obtained reveals generally poor condition of basic physical infrastructure facilities in the estates. While there is a significant relationship between the income status of residents and the conditions of some basic infrastructure facilities in some estates, others have no relationship. The paper suggests among others, involvement of the intending residents of the housing estates in housing provision and the provision of the site and services before actual construction of housing units.

Keywords: Residents’ income, Public housing estates, Basic infrastructure, Housing provision, Housing condition.