Houses in city unaffordable, study reveals

By KELVIN JOE
A PAPUA New Guinea National Research Institute (NRI) report has found that many working-class citizens are forced to live in settlements due to a lack of affordable housing in Port Moresby and other towns throughout the country.
NRI deputy director for research Associate Prof Eugene Ezebilo said many people living in towns and cities could not afford rent or to buy homes which resulted in the sprouting of illegal squatter settlements in urban centres.
“The house rent in formal areas is 29 per cent higher than that of informal areas (settlement) in Port Moresby,” he said.
During the launching of NRI Discussion Paper No.190 “Strategy to improve living conditions in informal settlement in Papua New Guinea-Evidence from Port Moresby” in Port Moresby yesterday, Prof Ezebilo said low-income earners and unemployed people often found it difficult to pay for housing in urban settings.
He said the report wanted to examine informal settlements and residents’ preferences for infrastructure and services and found effective guidelines for the upgrade of the settlements to improve life and identify factors that influenced them to live in a makeshift house.
Prof Ezebilo said it was the responsibility of the Government to provide upgraded settlement and affordable housing for ordinary people rather than evicting them.
“The upgrading of informal settlements has been a widely accepted solution compared to eviction and relocation.
“Upgrade of informal settlements often involves land tenure regulation and provision of basic infrastructure,” he said.
Meanwhile, acting director Dr Osborne Sanida said the study would contribute to urban development planning by providing guidelines for upgrading settlement in an effective and efficient manner.