Housing Poverty amid Abundance in Urbanizing Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria (Published)
Despite the abundance of housing estates within the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, it is particularly disturbing and ironical that the city is still rated as one of the most expensive place for housing accommodation. This has contributed in domestic poverty, lack of good homes, in which; majority of public servants and private employees does not have decent accommodations. In addition, many families are separated between States, therefore aiding corruption in their respective offices to meet up with their respective needs. The purpose of this paper is to identify the causes of un-occupied buildings amid inadequacy of housing for the poor and its effects on the city and to establish the possible data of empty flats within the city in other to aid policy directions concerning empty houses and flats in the Abuja metropolis. Data were gathered from assessment of scantly occupied and completely un-occupied housing flats within Abuja metropolis through a case study research approach which is appropriate when you are to learn the why and how a particular situation occurs according to Yin (2003). From the tabulation and percentage analysis it shows that a total of 21,239 empty flats are available un-occupied in Abuja metropolis. This study advocate a regulatory control on empty buildings in Abuja Metropolis in form of the following recommendations; that all empty houses should be converted to social housing development, Government should place heavy tax on empty houses; Government should establish an ACT for rental control and occupancy in Abuja Metropolis.