EVALUATING THE HOUSING QUALITY AND STANDARD PARAMETERS IN GWAGWALADA AREA COUNCIL F.C.T., ABUJA

This study addressed the housing quality in Gwagwalada town with specific reference to Gwagwalada Central, Quarters and Kutunku wards. This is because most initial developments in Gwagwalada were based here and common to them all is that the houses have dilapidated over time. The aim of this work was to assess the quality of houses in the study area in relation to housing availability. This aim was achieved by identifying the major dwelling types in the area, examining the facilities in the houses, characterising the houses in the study area and also identifying the housing problems faced by respondents in the study area. This research made use of primary data sources mainly ranging from field observation, personal interview with household heads/landlords to administration of questionnaire. Secondary data sources were also made use of such as textbooks, journals, articles and published texts. The sample survey was 5% of the entire population under study. This study found that most of the respondents were living in the dwelling types that they could afford not because it was suitable for them in terms of the family size and comfortability. The facilities in these dwelling types also varies by wards with quarters ward having highest values of all the modern housing facilities identified in the course of this study. The housing problems faced by respondents were high cost of rent, overcrowding, congestion, indiscriminate waste disposal, development of slum and squatter settlements and lack of good water supply.