Adequate housing for all is a fundamental necessity because it serves as a cornerstone of human dignity, physical health, economic stability and social well-being. Housing is also closely related to poverty. Countries with inadequate housing and poorly serviced settlements often have large populations living in poverty and vulnerable conditions.
As the world observes World Habitat Day, it is important to understand what adequate housing means and why it is important to human settlements.
What is adequate housing?
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), adequate housing is more than having four walls and a roof. It means having a safe and secure home and community in which to live in peace and dignity.
The United Nations identifies seven core requirements of adequate housing:
Security of tenure: Legal protection against forced evictions, harassment and other threats.
Availability of services: Access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, energy for cooking and lighting, and refuse disposal.
Affordability: Housing costs should not compromise people’s ability to meet other basic needs or enjoy other human rights.
Habitability: Housing should provide physical safety, adequate space and protection against weather, dampness, structural hazards and threats to health.
Accessibility: Housing should take into account the specific needs of disadvantaged and marginalised groups.
Location: Housing should provide access to employment, education, healthcare and other social facilities and should not be located on polluted or dangerous land.
Cultural adequacy: Housing design, construction and policies should respect cultural identity and diversity.
The United Nations also emphasises the responsibilities of governments in advancing the right to adequate housing. Adequate housing is not simply a physical structure; it is a place where people can live in security, peace and dignity. It is closely linked to physical and mental health, safety and human dignity.
Why adequate housing is essential in human settlements
Adequate housing is necessary for several reasons:
Protection of human rights: Adequate housing is recognised in international human rights law. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, recognises everyone’s right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of the individual and family, including housing.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), adopted in 1966, also recognises in Article 11 the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing. As of September 2026, the UN Treaty Collection lists 173 parties to the Covenant. Nigeria acceded to the Covenant in 1993.
Health and well-being: Substandard housing lacking adequate ventilation, structural safety, clean water or proper sanitation can expose occupants to disease, environmental hazards and mental stress.
A historical example is the bubonic plague outbreak in colonial Lagos. Between 1924 and 1931, Lagos recorded 1,947 officially recorded cases and 1,813 deaths. The year 1928 was particularly devastating, with 519 cases and 509 deaths, representing a case-fatality rate of 98 per cent for that year.
The crisis contributed to changes in the city’s planning and public-health landscape. The Lagos Town Planning Ordinance of 1928 provided for the establishment of the Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB), which became an important institution in planning and development in Lagos.
The birth of the LEDB and slum clearance
The 1928 Lagos Town Planning Ordinance established the framework for the LEDB and gave it powers relating to town planning, land acquisition and development. Slum clearance and the development of residential areas subsequently became important parts of the Board’s work.
The new Yaba Estate was developed in the aftermath of the bubonic plague of the mid-1920s, alongside development on the mainland. This created new transport demands between Lagos Island and the mainland.
Resettlement and the development of Surulere
The housing response evolved over several decades. The LEDB later established housing schemes, including the Surulere housing scheme, popularly known as New Lagos, to accommodate people displaced by slum clearance and redevelopment.
Available research indicates that significant resettlement into the Surulere scheme took place during the 1950s, rather than immediately after the 1928 plague. The scheme was designed to rehouse low-income residents displaced from parts of Central Lagos.
Impact on urban infrastructure
Transportation development: The expansion of residential areas on the mainland generated new commuting patterns between Lagos Island and areas such as Yaba and Ebute Metta. In April 1928, a colonial official notified the Administrator of the Lagos Colony of the “urgent necessity of a regular and cheap bus service between Lagos and Yaba” in view of the development of the Yaba Estate.
This illustrates an important principle of urban development: housing cannot be separated from transportation. Where people live affects how they move, work and access essential services.
Market development: The growth of residential communities in mainland Lagos also contributed to the development of commercial activity. Markets such as Yaba, Tejuoso and Oyingbo subsequently became important centres of commerce. However, the development of these markets was influenced by several factors, and it would be too simplistic to attribute their emergence solely to new housing estates.
Features of affordable housing
Affordability and accessibility: Adequate housing must be affordable and accessible. Housing costs should not be so high that families have to sacrifice food, healthcare, education or savings simply to maintain a home.
Security and stability: Security of tenure and stable housing protect individuals and families from the trauma of forced eviction, harassment and homelessness, while helping to foster stable communities.
Benefits of adequate housing
Economic development: Housing is closely linked to economic and social development. Adequate housing provides stability and access to essential services and can support people’s ability to work, learn and participate in economic activity. UN-Habitat describes adequate housing as a foundation for dignity, health, opportunity and sustainable development and identifies it as a potential pathway out of poverty and a driver of economic opportunity.
This makes housing not merely a social issue but also an economic one. Governments that invest in adequate housing, infrastructure, land and basic services are investing in the productive capacity and well-being of their populations.
Social stability and inclusion: Adequate housing can strengthen communities by giving individuals and families a stable base from which to access education, healthcare, employment and other services.
Higher economic productivity: People living in safe, healthy and well-serviced communities are better placed to participate productively in the economy. Conversely, poor housing conditions can impose costs through ill health, insecurity, long commutes and inadequate access to essential services.
Conclusion
Adequate housing is a human right that we must all uphold because an injustice to one is an injustice to all. As the world observes World Habitat Day on Monday, October 5, 2026, it is a tragedy that billions of people around the world still live without adequate housing. The 2026 World Habitat Day theme is “Adequate Housing for All.”
According to UN-Habitat, an estimated 2.8 billion people worldwide face some form of housing inadequacy, while nearly 1.1 billion people live in slums and informal settlements. More than 300 million people are homeless.
Adequate housing must provide more than four walls and a roof. A number of conditions must be met before particular forms of shelter can be considered adequate housing. The human right to adequate housing means that everyone should have access to housing that meets basic requirements of security, affordability, habitability, accessibility, location, services and cultural adequacy.
Housing is a critical determinant of health and well-being. When satisfactory housing is not available, individuals and families can face consequences that extend beyond shelter, affecting health, education, employment, security and social inclusion. UN-Habitat has consequently placed housing, land and basic services at the centre of efforts to achieve sustainable urban development.
The world is also becoming increasingly urban. According to the UN’s 2025 World Urbanization Prospects, 45 per cent of the world’s population lived in cities in 2025, while two-thirds of global population growth through 2050 is projected to occur in cities.
This makes the provision of adequate housing an urgent global responsibility. As cities grow, governments must ensure that housing development keeps pace with population growth and is supported by transport, water, sanitation, healthcare, education, employment opportunities and other essential services.
Adequate housing is therefore not simply about constructing more buildings. It is about creating safe, inclusive and sustainable human settlements in which people can live with dignity, security and opportunity.
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Olufemi Adedamola Oyedele, MPhil. in Construction Management, managing director/CEO, Fame Oyster & Co. Nigeria, is an expert in real estate investment, a registered estate surveyor and valuer, and an experienced construction project manager. He can be reached on +2348137564200 (text only) or femoyede@gmail.com
Adequate housing: A human right and economic necessity