LagosHOMS to deliver 10,000 housing units soon

The Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (LagosHOMS) targets the delivery of 10,000 housing units in the interim while plans are continuing to build more before the termination of the current administration by May 2015.

Bosun Jeje, the state commissioner for housing, who briefed the media, weekend, on measures being adopted to make houses available to first timers, said, however, there was no overall projection on the number of houses to be built via the scheme, as it is an ongoing project aimed at bridging the housing deficit in Lagos.
He said the government had already commissioned a study to determine an accurate housing gap in the state which findings upon submission will further help in planning and projecting what gap to be filled.
He explained, however, that the public private partnership (PPP) will go a long way in addressing the housing challenge not only in Lagos, but the country generally.
He said in Lagos the PPP is beginning to yield results with the partnership with Messrs CSB Construction Works Limited/Prosper Gardens Ltd to build 628 units of two and three bedroom apartments at Sunrise Estate, Ipaja, 40 units of four bedroom maisonnettes by Cadwell Ltd on Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island and 400 units of two and three bedroom apartments by First World Communities Ltd at Chois Gardens in Agbowa, Ikorodu.
The commissioner disclosed that over 741 blocks of houses comprising 5,626 units are being completed
under the LagosHOMS by the Ministry of Housing and other agencies of the state government including New Town Development Au¬thority (NTDA), Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Devel¬opment in various locations across the state.
Meanwhile, Jeje has de¬bunked the claim by Musliu Obanikoro, the minister of state for defence, that the state government did not undertake environmental impact assessment (EIA) at the Iluburin foreshore near Adeniji area in Lagos, where the state government plans to build 1,254 housing units un¬der the LagosHOMS project.
According to the commis¬sioner, contrary to the claim allegedly made by the min¬ister, the state government sand-filled the site and left it for over 10 years in conform
ity with global standards before commencing construc¬tion work on the site.
He regretted that the minister was venturing into area outside his portfolio at the time the country was facing daunting security challenges.
“I must say that it was an unfortunate incident that happened at Ilubirin. This is where we intend to develop 1,254 units and which we have started. The visit of the minister of state for defence to the Ilubirin housing estate calls for concerns for the en¬tire country. The first thing that amazed us was that what is the intention of the minister of state for defence with housing matters which should have been referred to relevant agencies. But if a minister can come with military officers to disrupt operation, it calls for concern not only for Lagos State but also for the entire nation”.

Joshua Bassey