ABSTRACT

This study explores the nature and state of housing standards and development in Mambu clan of Nkwen, Bamenda. The nature of housing development varies in Mambu clan of Nkwen, Bamenda and beyond caused by varying factors. The study examines the socioeconomic attributes of residents, factors influencing housing quality, and the challenges facing housing development in the Mambu clan. The study finds that the majority of residents in mambu nkwen in informal settlements which are mostly for renting ;41%. Housing was noted to have several determinants based on income and household size;74%.

The study further found several challenging of high cost;62%.the study suggests that the stakeholders (being government and council) should reduce the tax rate there by introducing low cost of housing; 50%.  The study identifies several factors that influence housing quality in Mambu, including poverty, rapid urbanization, and lack of government intervention in the housing sector.

The study further highlights the challenges facing housing development in Mambu clan of Nkwen, Bamenda. These challenges include limited access to finance 62%, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of land tenure security. The study suggests that addressing these challenges will require a multi-faceted approach that involves government intervention, private sector investment, and community participation. The study concludes by outlining several recommendations for improving housing standards and development in Mambu clan of Nkwen, Bamenda.

These recommendations include increasing access to finance for housing development, improving infrastructure and services in informal settlements, and strengthening land tenure security. The study also suggests that community participation and empowerment are critical for sustainable housing development in Mambu clan of Nkwen, Bamenda. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the nature and state of housing standards and development in Mambu clan of Nkwen, Bamenda. It highlights the need for urgent action to improve housing conditions and calls for a collaborative effort between government, private sector, and communities to achieve sustainable housing development in the city.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Back ground of the study

The importance of housing goes far beyond the physical structure, it integrates the quality of the housing environment and the provision of social amenities. Good quality housing enhances socioeconomic development and well-being of the inhabitants. The creation of local government anywhere in the world stems from the need to facilitate an increase in housing standards through local governance. Conventionally housing standards vary widely across the developed world. USA local governments are engaged with housing issues, and this raises questions about the similarity and differences between their experiences and those of their peers in comparable nations. Generally, land use policies of local governments have led to poor building and hygiene housing because housing policies in USA are very rigid (Kramer, 2018). Local governance in China and Hong Kong are less concern in regulating cost of land thus making housing afford

Human settlements grow into formal and informal settlements. This growth which has led to the emergence of hamlets and villages which have become towns and cities, has led to well-planned and organized settlements in some areas and where there has been lack of planning, it has led to the creation of informal settlements with attendant problems. Some parts of human settlements are recognized by public authorities. They are formal. The informal human settlements are  not recognized by public authorities. They are spontaneous, disorderly and unplanned. This sore sight of human settlements is common in developing countries. There are mixed informal and formal settlements in several cities in Africa. Settlements constructed without any legal basis, built on inappropriate sites or on land destined for other functions are considered as illegal. There is need for special policies to solve this problem such as reshaping human settlement legality for the poor and urban renewal through upgrading of informal settlements There are about 1.2 million households in South Africa currently living in informal settlements under very precarious conditions and this poses serious threat to the health, the safety and the security of the population. A government programme in 2004 was put in place to upgrade and eradicate all informal settlements by 2014 in South Africa (Amoako, 2014). Despite a comprehensive national legislation and policy framework, there are still issues of inconsistencies, tensions and problems The evolution of settlements throughout Africa from tiny hamlets to larger settlements has led to an urban population in Africa of about 40%. The urban areas have the highest concentration and the most dynamic growth in human settlements. Cities have attracted and will continue to attract population due to the wide range of opportunities for economic advancement that they provide. The quality of service delivery, resources and economic development in an urban area is determined by the interconnectivity and spatial distribution of its human settlements. Population statistics can be used to quantify settlement patterns. Several regions in Africa have high population densities. Travel time between and in urban areas are determined by the population density and human settlements. Human settlement distribution, interconnectivity and accessibility are important factors to understand socio economic and political issues for urban development. Two studies on human settlements in Nigeria were very reveal incredibility difficult, leading to poor housing standards (Alawadi et al 2018).

Local governance and housing standards in Africa goes beyond the definition of mere minimum standards as it takes physical, materials, social and economic constituent of the residential environment into consideration and also, access to good quality housing is essential for human well-being, yet in many cities of the Developing Countries of Africa, a large proportion of the population still occupies housing with rudimentary materials. Housing quality also concern itself with assessment of the aesthetic and use value which are attributable to residential buildings (Okpala, 1985) and (Akinjare, et al ,2018). 

Housing delivery in Cameroon is provided by the local Government, but despite Government access to factors of housing production, the country could at best expect 4.2% of the annual requirement due to housing demand created by rural- urban migration, which account for 65% of urban population growth, the fixed supply of urban land, and inflation of rental and housing ownership cost (Taylor, 2000). Cultural factors such as preferences and values or social status, taste and financial resources, also influence a house physical characteristics. In developing countries of Africa, poor housing delivery has been attributed to inadequate mechanisms and systems for land allocation, funding, mortgage institutions and infrastructure (Encarta, 2007).

In Cameroon local governance and housing standards has been a priority of the local government even before the independence of the country in 1960, the government of Cameroon undertook some political, administrative and economic reforms and enacted law No. 74-23 of 5 December 1974 creating councils decided to democratize the system in order to devolve power to these decentralized units to champion the planning and implementation of housing ( Eyong E. M. 2007). Municipalities in Cameroon have adopted an integrated approach to the operational management of housing in order to strengthen urban it standards. This new approach, both regulatory and operational, builds on a stream of ideas for sustainable housing (Olinga, 2021).  

Local governance and housing in Bamenda is a participatory approach carried out involving various stakeholders such as the council staff, councilors, and community leaders. The Bamenda City council has adopted a participatory approach, with seven main stages involved in the elaboration of the housing standards, namely; Preparation of the Process, Participatory Diagnoses, Planning, Resource Mobilization, Programming, Implementation, and Monitoring & Evaluation (GP-DERUDEP 2012). Quarter heads in Bamenda sensitize their quarters on housing standards concerned issues such as cleaning of gutters by visiting social gatherings such as Njangi groups, Churches among others by sending town criers and identify and report defaulters to the palace for sanctions (Fri, 2017).