By Yinka Kolawole

In a bid to mitigate the effect of its urban renewal programme on displaced residents, the Lagos State government has embarked on the development of a resettlement scheme, along with the delivery of more housing projects in the state.

Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje, made this known recently during an inspection tour of some housing projects in Ikorodu. He said the state government decided to build the resettlement estate in order to accommodate some people that may be affected during urban upgrading of some flooded or blighted areas in the state, adding the idea was to ensure homelessness is reduced to the bearest minimum.

The resettlement scheme which comprises of 70 blocks of flats and designed in 1, 2 and 3 bedroom flats with 3 bedroom terrace houses, is located in Odo, Ayandelu/Odo-Onosa Village along Agbowa, Sagamu Road, Ikosi-Ejirin Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Agbowa.

At the time of the visit, the scheme which is occupying a wide expanse of land space, was at foundation stage. The commissioner noted that a total of 22 contractors were engaged to work on the scheme, out of which seven have been mobilised while eight contractors were already working on site.

Jeje also noted that government embarked on the construction of more residential estates in the state to help deliver affordable homes to more residents of the state. Among these are the 320 units of flats under Igbogbo Housing Estate Phase II, located within Ikorodu Satellite Town. The commissioner added that the project is billed for delivery mid 2013, designed in 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, with basic infrastructure such as a mini-water works, roads and drainages as well as lock-up shops.

He further stated that the Igbogbo housing estate is part of the government’s programme at reducing the state’s housing shortfall, especially through its Home Ownership and Mortgage Scheme (HOMS), which is yet to formally take off. “We want to address the housing hic-cups.

With this type of project, we are already working to make the supply aspect of the programme available, so that when the mortgage scheme eventually takes, we would not have problem with demand.  That is why we want to have the houses in excess at least to meet the demand.

“Igbogbo Housing Estate Phase I is already completed.  We have been calling and encouraging private sector to partner with us.  Very soon the government will hand off from directly building housing estates, what it would do is to provide conducive environment and allow the private sector to do the construction,” he stated.

The commissioner assured that on completion, the estate would be allocated through a transparent process, which he said the state would soon put in place, adding it has been the state government desire to partner with private investors on delivering of homes to her people.