Title: Measuring the socio–economic impact of forced evictions and illegal demolition; A comparative study between displaced and existing informal settlements
Abstract: Slum formation and settlements globally are an indication of either a housing deficit or the relative un-affordability of formal housing. Across developing nations it is quite common to find the urban poor resolving their accommodation issues by moving to slums while the government more often seeks to oppose the formation and continued existence of such settlements. Government interventions consequently further exposes the informal dwellers of these settlements into extreme vulnerabilities. A significant number of slum settlers are gainfully employed engage across various in informal economic activities and tend to be major drivers of informal economies. In this study, we investigate the impact of forced evictions from a socio–economic perspective by comparing former income earning households of a demolished slum to households in three existing slum communities. As well as investigating the dominant factors prompting slum formations and settlements in two of the three communities which are emerging communities. Primarily, our focus was to map household income and ascertain fatalities post-eviction. Secondly, we intend to profile the households in emerging communities to ascertain factors prompting slum formation and settlements in Lagos, Nigeria. We conclude that evictions are both a cause and consequence of poverty which in itself is a contributing factor to slum proliferation. We outline a few interventions in cases of unavoidable demolition and suggest the need to domesticate International Treaties in the protection of informal dwellers among other things. Abbreviations: NSISF: Nigeria Slums and Informal Settlement Federation; IDP: Internally Displaced Persons; COHRE: Centre on Housing Rights & Eviction; UN: United Nations; NBS: Nigeria Bureau of Statistics; JEI: Justice and Empowerment Initiative; SES: Social Economic Status; ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; PHC: Primary Healthcare Centre; ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund; NPC: National Population Council; SDI: Slum/Shack Dwellers International; GHS: General Household Survey; NSISF: Nigeria Slums and Informal Settlement Federation; ID: PInternally Displaced Persons; COHRE: Centre on Housing Rights & Eviction; UN: United Nations; NBS: Nigeria Bureau of Statistics; JEI: Justice and Empowerment Initiative; SES: Social Economic Status; ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; PHC: Primary Healthcare Centre; ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund; NPC: National Population Council; SDI: Slum/Shack Dwellers International; GHS: General Household Survey.
Publication Year: 2020
Publication Date: 2020-02-10
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 18
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