Lagos subsidizes cost of home ownership

Lagos State Government has moved to make home ownership in the state easier as it has announced the up scaling of its housing delivery performance and subsidizing the cost of the homes.

The government initiative is in response to the growing gap in housing demand in relation to the available accommodation in the state.

According to a statement by the Spokesperson of the State’s Ministry of Housing, Mrs Adeola Salako, this was made known by the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, on Friday, July 15, 2021.

Akinderu-Fatai said the government was committed to the provision of affordable mass housing units in spite of the increasing cost of building materials occasioned by the current inflationary trend.

Akinderu-Fatai revealed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed that cost of homes built by the state should be lower than the market price to make home ownership easier for the people, adding that the government is seriously working at having more homes available for residents before the end of the year.

He said, ‘’We are engaging multinationals along with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies to build and support the financing of buildings in the state. This is the viable option, given the fact that land is a limited resource in the state.’’

He explained that the state’s housing schemes, which were financed through direct budgetary allocation and located in Odo-Onosa Ayandelu, Agbowa, Sangotedo Phase 1, Gbagada and Omole Phase 1, will be delivered soon.

Other schemes that were being constructed through direct budgetary allocation include Egan-Igando, LASU, Ita-Marun in Epe and Ajara.

The commissioner said the projects are for the benefit of low and middle-income earners to eventually become home owners.

He said this would be accomplished through a convenient mortgage system where homes shall be allocated through the Rent-to-Home Scheme and whereby the tenure of payment would be 120 months.

Akinderu-Fatai said that an initial payment of 5 per cent of the value of the homes by the allottees was required before spreading the balance.