CHAPTER THREE
FACTORS OF
LOCATION, DISTRIBUTION AND HOUSING PROBLEMS IN EKPOMA.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
It
is very essential to know the factor of locating distribution of housing
problems in a university town.
However,
housing reflect the social and economic values of the society as it is the best
physical and historical evidence of civilization in a country.
3.2 LOCATIONAL FACTORS OF RESIDENTIAL
AREAS IN EKPOMA
A
number of factors are responsible for location of residential area in Ekpoma. The
living condition of Ekpoma is characterized b a rapid population increase
housing shortage, over-crowding, low quality housing, among others in the study
area has led to some factors being considered before one can locate his residence.
Some of those factors include
3.2.1 INCOME
Ones income level to a large extend
determines the type of house he is to live in, since high quality houses
attracts more rental pay, a high income earner would like to locate his
residence in high residential area with low density of population. Examples of
such places in the study area, include Ukhun road where most of the university
staff reside, Borehole road and Ujoelen road.
And those areas forms the third
residential area which is zone c. the low income on the other hand who can not
afford the high rate changed locate in zone A which include Emaudo Egoro,
Eguare and Ihumudumu.
The table shows different income level
and the rents paid in the three residential zones.
Zone
|
Population
|
Below
|
N2000
|
Above
|
|||
Sampled
|
|||||||
A
|
90
|
66
|
60
|
46
|
20
|
15
|
10
|
B
|
80
|
50
|
50
|
57
|
30
|
28
|
20
|
C
|
50
|
20
|
20
|
25
|
35
|
32
|
10
|
Total
|
220
|
136
|
130
|
128
|
85
|
75
|
40
|
Source:
Fieldwork 2010
3.2.2 AVAILABLE HOUSING
FACILITIES
Since housing is the main core of
residential environments intending resident with “All things being equal” tend
to assess the available facilities could be in the form portable water, good
toilet system such as the mater cistern e.t.c in a place where these facilities
are lacking it’s residence especially among the high income groups may desert
some houses.
Below shows sampled household housing
facilities in Ekpoma.
TABLE 3.2
Facilities
|
Percentage
(%)
|
Pipe borne
water
|
12.5
|
Buying of
water
|
70.0
|
Dug up
well
|
60.0
|
Stream
|
3.0
|
Electricity
|
85.0
|
Mater
Cistern
|
70.0
|
Pit toilet
|
25.0
|
Dung hill
|
10.0
|
Shower
|
20.0
|
Out-door
Bathroom
|
70.0
|
Refuse
disposal
|
25.0
|
Enclosed
space
|
50.0
|
Percentage Bar-Graph
showing Housing Facilities in Ekpoma. Available facilities
3.2.3 ACCESSIBILITY
In the location of any housing accessibility
to public facilities is a very important factor to be considered. These public
facilities factor include among other educational institution, commercial
activities, health facilities, other institutions such as banks, police station,
fire services etc.
Accessibility is the ease with which
people in an area obtain Accessibility is the major factor that determines the
size and extent of interaction between dwellers and facilities.
Accessibility in housing content and
refers to the time, position, spatial distance and cost that separate the individual
from the facilities in the environments.
The high concentration of house and
shops around Eguare and Emaudo could be attributed to accessibility factors as
these areas form the hub of commercial activities in Ekpoma. For instance, the
market is located in Eguare and Emaudo and also, most of the retail shops are
found in these areas.
Also the newly opened peripherals along the
Benin Auchi Express way has in recent years witnessed increased concentration
of the towns, mechanic workshops, petrol station, easy transportation to the
university, block molding industries which has eased the problem of conveying
blocks and other building materials to building site etc.
And those students could attribute the
high concentration of students around Idumebo-Ujemen to accessibility to
campus. In terms of fuel scarcity where only few vehicles and motorbike will be
available, students who reside around this area could opt to trecking to Campus
for the lectures.
3.2.4 DIMENSIONING FACTORS
These factors are evidents in population
growth density, space attributes and room density, the factor have serious
impact on the size and spatial structures of residential area in Ekpoma.
There has been the upsurge of population
in Ekpoma since the inception of the university in 1981. This has led to
increasing housing demand and consequently, some housing development has
evolved. For instance, a number of houses have sprung up in Ukpenu, Ujoelen and
the periphery of Eguare and Emaudo, Population density per household is higher
in Eguare, Emaudo and Iruekpen that any other part of the area. The space
standards in the new development peripheral area of Ukpenu, Eguare, Emaudo is
better than the one found in the centre of the town.
3.2.5 COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
Commercial activities found in Ekpoma
include small scale industries such as shoe making and mechanic works services
and saw milling industries and other distributive retain and wholesale trade.
These is a positive relationship between distribution of commercial activities
and population density of Ekpoma town.
Emaudo and Eguare from the help of
commercial activities for instance, the markets is located in Eguare and
Emaudo, and most of the retail shop are found in these area.
The distribution of commercial
activities has much impact on residential location as most intending residents
or landlords proffer busy areas were easy accessibility to commercial
activities is possible.
3.3 HOUSING PROBLEMS IN EKPOMA
To
understand the problem facing housing in Ekpoma, attention would be on the
nature of the problems and the factors that have brought about these problems.
Incessant
increase in rent is one of the major housing problems in Ekpoma. This problem
can be attributed to the fact that Ekpoma has become a receiving and for
migrant who seek employment and higher education due to the establishment of
the Ambrose Alli University
since 1981. The migration of these people into the town has led to increase in
its population and this invariably led to increase in demand for housing could
have been less if the university was able to provide adequate accommodation for
students and staff of the university. The inadequacy of accommodation for the
staff and students led to some of them going to the nearby villages, such as
Ujemen, Eguare, Emaudo to seek accommodation.
Therefore,
the increasing population had led to increased demand for housing and this has
invariably led to increased house rent, as the supply of housing cannot match
its demand. High tenancy ratio is another source of the incessant increase in
rent as about 90% of the respondents are tenants. This high tenancy ratio makes
it possible for the landlord to increase house rent at will.
Overcrowding
is another housing problem in Ekpoma. This is a result of the poor planning and
improper zoning of land-uses. This unplanned nature of the town led to the
demolition led to the homelessness of some of the indigenes. Those who could
not afford new houses went to stay with relatives and friends and the
consequences was the over crowdedness of some houses.
Another
source of over crowdedness could be attributed to the mobility of some students
to afford their own house rent, thereby leading to a situation where two or
more students will have to contribute money to pay their rents and share single
apartment to squat with friends and relatives who reside in fenced house or
house with burglary proofs for their safety thereby overcrowding one part of
the area and deserting others.
The
low housing quality in Ekpoma is to be given attention at this juncture. This
problem can be attributed to the high cost of building materials. And this has
invariably affected the quality of house in the area. As some of the malls of
the house continue to absorb water from the rain that fails they are always met
and thereby breaking away. In some cases, the wall of such houses cannot even
hold a mail that is intended to hang room gadgets.
3.3.1 INFRASTRUCTURE
Undoubtedly, the provision of
infrastructure facilities such as transportation road network communication facilities,
recreational parks, sanitary facilities, electricity supply, water supply, etc
influence residential location. This is to ease accessibility and movement of commuters.
Thus, this factor is very important to
the low-income earners who do not own any means of transportation. In an
attempt to get easy accessibility to work or school resident tend to line in
the area where cheap and easy transportation is available. However, to
high-income group, this factors is not as important, hence one find them living
in the suburb known as the community zones of a city.
Another infrastructural facility that
determine residential location is telephone service. Resident especially the
high-income group tent to opt for areas with good telephone supply.
This is as a result of the importance in
instance, Eguare, Ukpenu, Emaudo are more supplied with telephone services than
Ihumudumu, Ujemen, and Ujoelen. Although there are concerted efforts by the
network provides to make more provision for the proper supply of these services
to the masses.
The supply water is yet another
important factor underlying residential location in any settlement especially
in urban centres.
Residents always like to line in areas
with abundant and constant water supply.
In Ekpoma, through this factors does not
play an important role in residential location because there is no pipe borne
water expect the areas supplied by the bore-hole, nevertheless, people still
opt for houses with dug up well where water is stored.
The sanitary condition of any area in a
town affects residential location Areas that are well latent and well drained
will attract residents than area of shows.
3.4 HOUSING DISTRIBUTION IN EKPOMA
The
highest concentration of housing in Ekpoma revolves around the market square,
which is the Central Business District (CBD).
House
around this area are both for residential and commercial purpose such as shops
and stores population density per household is very high in this area of
residence.
Area
with moderate population density include Ujoelen and Ujemen.
The
high-income group are found in houses scattered within Emaudo, Eguare, Ukpenu
and mainly in their suborns,
The
medium-income can also be found around Eguare Ujeolen Emaudo and part if Ukpenu
residential areas.
While
Ujemen, Ihumudumu, Idumebo, among other form the low-income residential zones.
The
presence of government in the provision of housing in Ekpoma can only be felt
in Ambrose Alli University
staff quarter and the council staff quarters in Emaudo.
Apart
from the staff quarter there is no marked difference in the residential zone as
they all mix-up.
It
is mainly the newly opened residential zones such as the outer parts if Ukpenu
and along the Benin Auchi Express way that show a marked depiction of high
quality houses.
In
this junction, if important to note that three pattern of housing exist in
Ekpoma and these three are found in every part of the study area.
The
three pattern of housing are:
1. The single Room Apartment
2. The self contained apartment
3. The flat apartment.
1. The single Room Apartment: Constitute about
sixty percent (60%) of the total housing in Ekpoma, and are the cheapest in
temr sof rent paid.
They are house where all the occupants
who occupy their individual rooms share common housing facilities such as the
kitchen, Bathroom, and toilet e.t.c. But in most cases, these facilities are
build in two, one for males and the other for the females.
2. The self contained Apartment: This
account for about 25% of the total housing in Ekpoma. They are individual
single room apartment of various sizes, which has it own internal bathroom,
toilet, and in some case kitchen, rent paid for such house in Ekpoma ranges
between two thousand naira and three thousand naira (N2,000-3,000) monthly.
3. The flat Apartment: Is an elevated
pattern of the self contained. They account for about 15%. Of the total housing
in Ekpoma. It consists of two to three bedroom, a sitting room (parlor) and its
own internal kitchen Bedroom and toilet.
The Flat Apartment in most case
constitutes the most expensive pattern of housing in Ekpoma. They fall within
the range of three thousand naira and above monthly (3000-above). The flat
apartment and the self contained apartment together form the modern housing types
in Ekpoma.
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