Owing to the importance of housing in the life of every human, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Abia State Chapter is calling on Government, individuals, corporate bodies, to assist those who do not have shelter by building affordable and accessible houses.
The body said this call has become imperative in view of the housing need as witnessed in Aba, Umuahia and other parts of the State, adding that the move will ameliorate the suffering of the people if well handled.
The Chairman of the Institute in Abia State, Town Planner Stephen Chukwudi Nwazue, who made the call at the weekend after he visited an abandoned building site in Umuahia turned home by some displaced persons, cried over the dirty environment these displaced persons are living in.
He said such dirty environment is capable of inflicting sickness on the entire households therein, especially now that there are all kinds of communicable diseases the world is grappling with.
Tpl Nwazue, said if there were more affordable housing estates, it will be easy for people to own houses and save themselves the agony of living in uncompleted buildings, calling on Government, philanthropists, among others to look into this with a view to building affordable houses for those in need.
He added that though there are housing estates in Abia, there is call for more to be built to ease the pressure of people in this regard while using the medium to call on individuals, communities, community leaders, to make lands available for Government and philanthropists to come in and assist.
Tpl Nwazue, who stated that the problem of building affordable houses has always been unavailability of land for such developmental plan, added that he is sure that the government is willing to provide affordable housing, but paucity of land has always hindered the plan.
He also advised the Government, individuals, communities, and the general public at large, to engage Town Planners to prepare Schemed Layout designs for them accordingly. This design will no doubt, create a very aesthetic, habitable and comfortable environment for human habitation.
