Assessing the Factors Impacting Sustainable Low-Cost Housing Development in Enugu State, Nigeria

Housing as a fundamental need is crucial to the development of any country. One of the top three needs for men and to the existence of humans is housing. Cost is a significant problem that the majority of enterprises face on a regular basis. This study assessed the factors impacting sustainable low-cost housing development in Enugu State, Nigeria. The objectives examined; the economic factors influencing the provision of sustainable low-cost housing; propose possible mitigation measures to achieve sustainable low-cost housing provision in Enugu State. Correlation research design was adopted. Primary and secondary data were used for carrying out the research. The population was drawn from professionals of the built industry within the study area. SPSS version 20 tool was used in descriptive analysis estimate of the mean of each factor. E-view8 tool of inferential correlation and regression were used in the analysis and testing of hypothesis. The result of the analysis indicates that insufficient resources ranked 1st with mean score of 10.5 and inflation ranked 2nd with RII of 10.3 by the R2 value of 0.702 is considered statistically significant at 0.05 level. The null hypothesis 1 was rejected because it has a t-statistics value of 0.041 respectively which are below 0.05, this means that there are significant factors that influence sustainable low-cost housing provision. Further results indicate that mitigation measures for sustainable low-cost housing include: government regulatory and policy support (84%), innovative financing methods (82%), monthly housing payment scheme for civil servants (83%), Easy access to information (84%), timely communication (80%), and community involvement and empowerment (81%). The work concludes that optimizing small spaces, selecting appropriate materials, and adapting learning practices from other regions can significantly improve low-cost housing sustainability in Enugu State. The research recommends enhancing housing policies, simplifying bank borrowing, improving financing access, implementing government-backed loans or grants for low-income families, and promoting community involvement and cultural preferences. Keywords: Construction Cost, Sustainability, Low-Cost Housing, Government Intervention