Patterns of User-Initiated Transformation of Dwelling Units in Selected Public Housing Estates in Lagos, Nigeria

This study examined User-Initiated Transformation (UIT) in selected low-income public housing estates in Lagos, Nigeria with a view to providing information that could assist policy makers in more effective housing delivery. It employed a systematic sampling method to select 315 housing units out of 8938 units from 3 purposively selected estates for questionnaire administration, namely: Abesan (156 units), Isolo (128 units) and Iponri estates (31 units). The findings showed that 79.0% (233 out of 295 retrieved questionnaires) of respondents have transformed their houses one way or the other. The majority of residents (78.40%) engaged in transformation by slight adjustment, such as: painting, re-tiling, and installation of shading devices, burglar proof to openings, and fixtures and fittings. It was also observed that 5.28% transformed by addition of more spaces, 1.42 % by addition of doors and windows, 13.21% by addition of services, and 1.68% by total conversion; but there was no indication of transformation by total reconstruction. The study found that 48.3% and 76.0 % of the respondents were not satisfied with the original plan and level of adequacy of spaces of their houses respectively. These findings implied that the predominant patterns of UIT of dwelling units in the study area were due mainly to residents’ dissatisfaction with the level of adequacy of spaces, and with the original plan. The study concluded that greater attention needs to be given to users’ preferences through their participation in the decision-making process relating to the design and delivery of public housing. Keywords: dwelling units, physical transformation, user-initiated transformation (UIT), public housing, Lagos

Resources, Process and Challenges of User-Initiated Transformation of Public Housing Units in Lagos, Nigeria

The literature on user-initiated transformation (UIT) of housing suggests the actuality of the phenomenon as an apparent trend in public housing estates in developing countries, despite the legal and planning implications, and the often negative official attitude towards it. Studies also highlight the significance of economic motivation in UIT. This paper therefore examines the resources for UIT in terms of the sources of finance, cost, and duration, as well as the process and challenges encountered. Systematic sampling method was employed to select 315 housing units from 8938 units in 3 purposively selected low-income estates (the largest) for questionnaire administration. Findings revealed that the main sources of finance for UIT were individual savings (36.8%) and Cooperative societies’ loans (35.8%); while 49.5% of respondents expended N400,000-600,000 to transform to their housing. There was also a significant relationship between cost of UIT and income level. More than 64% of the transformations were completed within 1 year and 34% within the second year. Much of the UIT (65.3%) was by direct labour and 32.3% using contractors. Respondents’ perception of desired spaces not provided emphasized the need for shops, storage, guest room and visitor’s toilet. Insufficient finances and unavailable materials were the key challenges encountered in the transformation process. The study concluded on the need to review the legal, planning, policy and financial frameworks for public housing, to encourage users’ participation and incorporate design guidelines that are sensitive to residents’ socio-economic realities and aspirations as reflected in UIT, through a more acceptable and coordinated approach. Keywords: challenges, process, public housing, resources, user-initiated transformatio