Analyst Tasks FG On Affordable Housing

An economic analyst, Eze Udo has charged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would ensure affordable housing for the citizenry.
Udo made the call while chatting with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt, Monday.
He stated that there had been much talks by the Federal Government on its intension to build 7000 housing units yearly in each state of the federation, saying that they are yet to put their words to action.
He noted that a more realistic policy would be to build not less than 1000 housing units instead, saying that this is a more achievable policy and would ensure availability of affordable housing for the average Nigerian.
Udo observed that successive administrations have failed to address the challenges facing the housing sector, adding that formulation laws to address these challenge would go a long way to addressing the 17 million housing deficit presently plaguing the nation.
He lamented that the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) scheme has not risen to the challenge of bridging the housing gap and provide the necessary funds for the contributors to build houses.
Udo called for the restricting of the scheme and repositioning of the Federal Mortgage Bank as a possible measure to fulfilling set goals, stressing that an effective housing sector would not be possible without a functional and robust mortgage system.

Tonye Nria-Dappa