Housing Authority Moves To Tackle Challenges

Not satisfied with the present state of things in respect to the provision of affordable low cost houses, especially to indigenes of the state, the River State Housing and Property Development Authority (RSHPDA) has started strategising on how to tackle the challenges.

The Tide’s visit to the authority revealed that they are faced with some challenges, ranging from how to utilise the few manpower in its workforce in accomplishing its mandate, to the real delivery of low cost and affordable housing in the face of increasing cost of materials.

While interacting with The Tide on the issue, the General Manager of the housing authority, Architect I.S. CookeyGam said that one of his biggest challenges now was how to deliver low cost houses, that an average public officer in Rivers State could afford.

Architect CookeyGam regretted that his desire to provide such homes was obstructed by rising cost of materials, pointing out that his aim will be defeated, even though they go on to build under such situation, and sell to people who can pay the higher cost, for which majority will come from outside Rivers State.

To this end, the RSHPDA boss posited that the authority is strategizing and also consulting with relevant groups and bodies on how to have easy access to materials at a very reduced cost.

Part of the strategies he said was on how to have sand dump and direct  .

access to manufacturers of these materials that can guarantee very low cost of procuring the materials.

He said that these strategies would pay –off when the state government play their role in providing the enabling environment.

Corlins Walter