AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSING POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES IN LAGOS STATE

In contemporary times, many countries are faced with shortage of housing, particularly in the urban centres. As a result, most governments often adopt a number of housing policies and programmes to minimise housing problems. These range from direct provision, site development to mortgage finance. In Nigeria, Federal Government intervened in the housing sector through several policies. These policies among others include the Land Use Act of 1978 and National Housing Policies of 1980 and 1991.

In Lagos State, the state government also adopted a number of housing policies and programmes to address the housing situation in the state. The most significant was the Lagos State Housing Policy of 1980. Inspite of these policies and resource commitments both at the Federal and State levels (Lagos State inclusive) many urban dwellers still lack adequate shelter.
The study set out to examine the key management problems that obstruct the implementation of housing policies and programmes in Lagos State. It also seeks to establish the extent to which these problems are rooted in the capability of institutions responsible for the implementation of housing policies and programmes.
The study discovers that ineffective implementation of government housing policies and programmes is traceable to the low capacity of implementing institutions. Exogenous factors which include political instability and the depressed economic environment were other impeding factors. to the successful implementation of housing policies and programmes in Lagos State.

In order to make housing services available to the citizens especially the low-income earners, the study suggests the strengthening of the implementing institutions through provision of adequate financial resources, required autonomy and the adoption of personnel administration peculiar to the agencies's needs. Finally, in light of the inadequate mechanisms of government for meeting the housing needs of the majority of people, the active participation of the private sector, employers, housing cooperatives, self-help movements and building societies is considered desirable to ensure steady supply of housing.

To arrive at these findings and recommendations, both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Primary data were collected from a number of public officials (past and present) in the relevant housing agencies and beneficiaries of public housing. Secondary data were sourced from government publications, official documents/files, annual recurrent and capital estimates, relevant budget speeches of successive Lagos State Governors, books and journals on public administration/housing etc.