Assessing Housing Quality, Affordability, and Health Conditions in a Healthy City Context: A Case Study of Beere, Ibadan.

Housing is universally valued for providing safety and security, identity, and space for social interaction, enabling families to live, learn, and grow together, while also being considered a major determinant of quality of life and a major driver of industrial and economic development (Gupta, 2024). The global housing affordability crisis poses a significant challenge, with millions of people worldwide struggling to secure adequate, affordable housing. As urban populations grow and income disparities widen, the gap between housing demand and supply has become increasingly pronounced, placing a strain on existing housing systems and worsening social inequalities (Akinsulire et al, 2024). Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and it faces a substantial housing deficit that continues to grow amid rapid urbanization and population growth. As such, the increased demand for affordable housing significantly outstrips supply, resulting in millions of Nigerians, particularly in urban areas, living in substandard conditions or lacking access to housing altogether (Garba et al, 2024). However, the provision and availability of affordable housing in Nigerian cities are constrained by obstacles such as limited land, insecure land tenure, and high construction material and financing costs, which hinder the development of affordable housing projects. Affordable housing plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges, promoting sustainable urban development, and providing benefits such as improved quality of life, social cohesion, and economic opportunities (Adedeji, 2023). These challenges affect the city’s economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental quality, yet there is limited research addressing the problem (Obakin et al, 2024). Ibadan, one of the largest traditional urban centers in West Africa, faces housing affordability issues that are more pronounced in older inner-city neighborhoods such as Beere, where high housing demand coexists with aging housing infrastructure, overcrowding, and low household incomes. These socioeconomic dynamics shape housing choices and expose residents to housing conditions that may be financially burdensome. Understanding the level and determinants of housing affordability in Beere is therefore crucial for improving the standard of living and informing urban housing policy in Ibadan. Although several studies document housing conditions, rent imparities, and health problems in parts of Ibadan, there is limited recent empirical research that integrates housing affordability and housing quality as joint factors of health outcomes in core areas such as Beere. This study fills that gap by providing a community-specific analysis (Beere) and examining how affordability and quality together influence the health of Beere residents.