Anambra to deliver 5,000 housing units to reduce deficit – Okonkwo

Anambra State government yesterday said it has commenced construction of five thousand housing units for low income earners to reduce housing deficit in the state.

Mr Michael Okonkwo, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, made this known while defending the 2020 Budget estimate of his ministry before the House of Assembly Committee on Housing in Awka.

Okonkwo said that the demand for shelter and new houses had continued to rise due to population growth, increasing urbanisation and daily influx of people into the state.

He said: “Shelter ranks next to food as a human necessity and one of the social responsibilities of government.

“Provision of affordable houses remains a major focus of Governor Willie Obiano’s administration in our quest to make life comfortable for the people.

“We are determined to achieve the construction of these 5,000 housing units which will be located at Agu-Awka, in Awka South Local Government Area, via policy initiatives to make residents, especially low income earners home owners,” he said.

The commissioner promised to work with the assembly to come up with a bill that would check the excesses of developers who flouted building regulations and as well protect tenants from shylock landlords.

Chairman, House Committee on Housing, Mr Lawrence Ezeudu, urged the ministry to checkmate erection of buildings by some developers without approved building plan.

Ezeudu promised that his committee would work with the ministry to ensure that the housing units were delivered in good time.