Book on affordable housing for launch

A new book that changes the orientation of people on affordable housing will be launched in Lagos.

Titled: “Affordable”, it catalogued a 41- thought provoking pointers in a book on issues of affordable housing in Nigeria and written by Tayo Odunsi.

Speaking on the idea behind the book, Odunsi, who is also the chief Executive officer of Northcourt Real estate limited, said, there is need for a paradigm shift from people perspective on the subject matter by thinking critically and differently about housing in order to solve the nation’s housing deficits.

He stressed that the inspiration to do the book came after a social housing course; he attended in Rotterdam, Netherlands. “Much of what is called affordable housing is low cost housing”, he added.

He however identified government, private sectors which involved professionals, community and individuals as four critical elements in ensuring affordable housing Nigeria.

Odunsi stressed that while government has a key role to play towards ensuring affordable housing, the community and individuals have a major role by ensuring that houses remain affordable by resisting increment in service charges and change of use.

He said: “ There are five essential participants in delivering affordable housing – the Government, the Private Sector, Professionals, the Community and the Individual.

“This “pentagonal” distinction of affordable housing players is essential because each party, like the lines of a pentagon, are distinct yet linked. They have the direct responsibility for affordable housing to be delivered and to be sustainable”, he said.

The book, Odunsi said delineates the roles of the five essential participants in delivering affordable housing: government, private sector, professionals, community, and e Individual. Each chapter describes what the particular participant needs to do, or to view differently, so that sustainable affordable housing can be achieved.