TO MAKE DECENT SHELTERS AFFORDABLE

The reason why most people seem to be living below UN poverty line is simply misplacement of priorities and lack of basic information. Lack of basic amenities will not be a big problem if there is basic information. Not just basic information on the part of the people but also of the leadership in place (Government of the day).

It is possible for all citizens of Edo State to have affordable decent shelters if certain policies are formulated and enforced in the State. The Government of Edo State can enact policies that will help alleviate the anguish of the Citizens of the State by ensuring that the housing facilities are affordable and commensurate with the present minimum wage.

This can be done without any financial bail-out on the side of the Government. A simple as well as a single policy can help provide affordable housing facilities and at the end of the day alleviate poverty in the State. All that is needed is policy re-enforcement.

If the people can be housed in comfortable as well as affordable houses they can work and develop the City as well as the State. Among the three most biting basic social amenities, poor housing is the most devastating. If the people have affordable shelters they can manage with poor power supply and poor transportation system. What the people need first above all is good as well as affordable housing facilities. The question is if Edo State Government can provide this all-important basic amenity for her citizens.

With just a policy statement that the Government can be committed to enforcing she can make the needed difference. She can build estates and cheap housing schemes for the people but it will never be as effective as to what this policy statement can do. It will cost the Government nothing save a policy statement and security operatives that will ensure that the policy is active.

It is possible for even an applicant in the State to be able to afford a decent apartment in any part of the State. This is only possible if the Government will issue a working policy on housing in the State.

First, the Government should realize that majority of her prestigious citizens are monthly income earners not annual. Nobody earn income annually in this country. And the question should be why must they pay annually for their housing when they earn monthly? Just a simple policy statement from the Government can make the difference. In developed countries, the word mortgage is a familiar word when talking about housing. In our nation, mortgage is far fetch because of the unanswered question of trust cum lack of national data base.

However, while bypassing the unanswered question in mortgage policy, the people as well as the loaners (landlords) can enjoy balanced profit, with a simple policy statement and a well fortified idea on housing facilities in the State.

This is not a call requesting the Government to rob Peter to pay Paul. It is an idea that will put sanity in the housing system. It will help better the lives of the citizens and at the same time open a more accommodating business grounds for home-loaners (landlords). This idea will benefit all parties involve, while the Government helps to serve her people better. Even the Banks will smile as this will guaranty more businesses and the citizens of the State will benefit greatly.

So what is this great workable idea that will allow the government to create the much needed policy for better and cheap housing facilities for the people? It could be found here.