Nigeria, a vast country in Africa, faces a pressing and urgent challenge: homelessness plagues over 28 million people, comprising more than 13% of the population. Despite its expansive land mass (one of the largest in Africa), this crisis has gotten worse over the years, and shows no signs of abating, as reported by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC).
However, this issue extends far beyond a mere housing crisis; it represents a grave humanitarian problem. Many people affected by homelessness are confined to the streets and huddled beneath bridges endure unimaginable hardships, including facing a lack of safety, rampant theft, sexual assault, wrongful arrests, susceptibility to diseases, and a host of other adversities. It is crucial that we act urgently to address this crisis.
While numerous NGOs, foundations, and policymakers are tirelessly working to tackle this pressing issue, finding sustainable solutions remains an arduous challenge. Nonetheless, we must not be deterred. We need to mobilise resources, explore innovative strategies, and work together to build sustainable solutions.
Together, we can combat homelessness in Nigeria and alleviate the suffering of countless individuals.
TACKLING HOMELESSNESS AROUND US
Homelessness in Nigeria can be tackled using the following methods:
Preventing People From Becoming Homeless In The First Place: Methods along these lines usually includes any outreach effort that targets at-risk people, whether it is short-term case management, programs that help ex-convicts find jobs, military discharge planning, stable pension plan for the elderly and retired, rental subsidies or paying their utility bills and expanding access to social services.
At Sheltered Hope Initiative (Shi), for instance, we’re working to eradicate homelessness by supporting Nigerians with education, skills, tools and resources with the solutions to achieve housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency.
As part of SHi’s strategy, we’re working towards building a communal shelter programme which consists of 3-tiers to facilitate self-sufficiency among homeless people.
This communal space will prioritise safety, skill-building support, and building self-sufficiency.
Learn more about Sheltered Home Initiative
Setting Bold Goals: When organisations and communities set a target to reduce street homelessness, they usually succeed. Do not just think about housing a few hundred people in a shelter, rather, think about how thousands can get permanent supportive housing within a year. For instance, Finland: In the last 30 years, the country has steadily reduced homelessness by over 25%. They’ve done this through a collaboration between the government and non-profits, through which they simply give homes to people who need them. This approach is called the “housing first policy”. In this scheme, beneficiaries are given a home without any prerequisites like a job or mental stability.
Putting An End To Forced Evictions: Forced eviction by the government aggravates the homelessness problem, and this is quite rampant in Lagos state. This happens by the threat of violence, with the hopes of making Lagos an international business centre. Approximately 1 million people have had to evacuate their homes in the last 15 years alone. Another pressing issue is that government officials in Lagos typically do not give any warning before forcibly removing residents. For example, men wielding machetes cleared out an entire neighbourhood. As a result, this made 30,000 Nigerians homeless instantly. This issue needs to be addressed as there needs to be a reform in the housing sector, which puts an end to forced evictions.
Give To Programs That Work: Sounds pretty easy, right? but these are not easy to identify. This is because of the increased number of fraudulent activities that go on under the guise of trying to provide support for disadvantaged groups. Researching the nonprofit you intend to support is important — social media, website, mentions in articles from trusted sources, and so on. You can assess the legitimacy of an organisation through the associated individuals (founders, management, etc), their partnerships, and their impact. Once you find one you’re comfortable with, volunteering your time, donating, and sharing their work are great ways to ensure they keep getting the support they need to keep the work going.
Spread The Word: Get the word out, and tell everyone around you about the homelessness situation in your community and country at large. Make sure to dispel the misconceptions that stifle change. The journey starts here, but it will continue until the homelessness problem is eradicated once and for all.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.