Neighbourhood revitalisation and housing satisfaction : enhancing residents’ quality of life in public low-income housing in Lagos metropolis Nigeria.

Abstract

This study examines declining housing quality and neighbourhood degeneration as factors that contribute to low levels of residential satisfaction and quality of life in public low-income housing estates in Lagos metropolis. Its main objective was to establish the relationship between housing quality and residential satisfaction and its implications for neighbourhood revitalisation. In developed countries, such conditions as residential neighbourhood blight and decay are often addressed by means of clearance and renewal programmes. In a developing country like Nigeria, such options are not feasible due to resource constraints and a shortage of housing stock. The study, motivated by an effort to particularly address the problem of housing for the low income group, adopted the needs theory, hedonic price theory, housing adjustment theory and new urbanism as it’s theoretical framework. It’s conceptual framework rested on the issues of neighbourhood’s habitability, affordability, residential satisfaction, urban blight and quality of life. A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods was used for data collection and analysis. The quantitative approach was utilized in which 646 completed questionnaires measuring housing and neighbourhood quality, residential satisfaction, quality of life and the respondents’ willingness to participate in a revitalisation scheme to examine the interrelation among the conceptual issues. Observation, key informant in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were also used to gather data. Chi-square test was used to test the relationship between housing quality and residential satisfaction. The Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to determine whether there is significant variation in the level of residential satisfaction between the housing estates. The findings of the chi-square test revealed a significant positive relationship between residential satisfaction and housing quality variables. The result of the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed there was no significant variation in the level of residential satisfaction between these estates. The postulation that housing improvement through urban revitalisation made by low income households themselves in partnership with private sector will be a potent factor on housing quality improvement for an enhanced quality of life is a general policy approach to sustainable housing development. The research practically assists planners and policy makers who work on public low income housing on how to avoid adverse issues associated with poor residential neighbourhood and opens a way of thinking about future public low income housing programmes.