SSESSMENT OF URBAN HOUSING CONDITIONS IN KUBWA, FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ( FCT ) ABUJA, NIGERIA

Kubwa had problem of poor housing conditions. This forced its inhabitants to live in overcrowded houses with huge and unhealthy effects on human beings. The aim of this study was to examine housing conditions in Kubwa town and its effects on the environment. Data for this work was sourced from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was generated from in-depth interview and questionnaire administration. Secondary data was generated from government official documents, books, and journals from both private and public libraries. Data was equally generated from the internet using search engines. Data were analyzed using percentages, frequency, and chi-square. Secondary data was analyzed using historical/comparative analysis, which is closely related to analysis of existing statistics and content analysis. The work found out that majority of the respondents lived in rented houses because of their socio-economic status. Again, the general environmental conditions of the estates were poor because of the fact that wastes were dumped in unauthorized places, room spaces were equally poor, making the houses uncomfortable to the inhabitants. Thus, housing conditions in Kubwa was found to be inadequate. The work concluded that unless houses in Kubwa are built to provide, among other things, good environment and adequate room space, housing in Kubwa must continue to negatively affect housing development there. The work recommended, amongst other things, that room spaces in Kubwa housing estates should be increased to provide more comfort to the inhabitants.