The influence of socioeconomic variability on the housing quality standard in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The study examined the relationships between residents’ socioeconomic characteristics and the housing quality standard in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 198 household heads for questionnaire administration. The findings revealed that socioeconomic factors are correlated in the following proportions: educational level shows a moderate correlation with monthly income (r = .463, p < 0.01), length of stay (r = -.433, p < 0.01) and age of building (r = -.414, p < 0.05); monthly income displays a fairly strong correlation with length of stay (r = -.502, p < 0.01) and age of building (r = -.625, p < 0.01); household size presents a relatively strong correlation with length of stay (r = .766, p < 0.01), and a moderate correlation with age of building (r = .545, p < 0.01). The results of the multiple regression analysis produced an R2 = 0.387, meaning that socioeconomic variables explained the 38.7% variance in the housing quality standard (HQS) in the study area. Therefore, the study concluded that length of stay, educational level and age of building are strongly associated with the housing quality in Abeokuta.