An Estate Surveyor and Valuer ESV Chinelo Nkiruka Nwosu mnivs disclosed that when it comes to resettlement on squatter settlements there are many effects.
She said resettlement occurs when people living in informal or squatter settlements are moved by government and authorities to another place.
ESV Nwosu stated this yesterday in Abuja , saying that this is usually for development, urban planning and renewal, conservation programs, conflicts or environmental reasons.
“ It can also refer to to the process where native or original inhabitants of a region are moved from their ancestral Land to another location.
“This process can have both positive and negative effects on the people/communities involved”, she stated
The estate surveyor rollout
some of the positive effects such as Improvement in living conditions: Resettlement can provide better housing and infrastructure such as clean water supply, proper houses, electricity, sanitation and proper waste disposal.
This will improve health and overall quality of life compared to the crowded squatter settlements.
Better Access to Social Amenities: many resettlement areas are planned with access to schools, hospitals,Clinics, roads and transportation and markets.
The residents will have better education, health care and employment opportunities.
Reduced environmental and health risks: Generally, squatter settlements are often in unsafe places like flood plane areas, river banks, refuse dumps etc. Resettlement can reduce exposure to pollution, flood and disease outbreaks.
Others are Better urban Planning: Government design a well organized Land use for the resettlement area through the provision of roads, construction of drainages,housing development and other amenities to make it a complete neighborhood and Security of Tenure: In most cases, resettled people receive legal land rights or housing documents which gives them more stability.
She also that one of the major negative effect is that people may loose their sources of income because many squatters work close to where they live, and moving them far away can make it difficult to continue their work.
Others are negative effects on the people or communities involved are:
“Resettlement may break strong community relationships. Families who support each other maybe separated , thereby causing emotional stress and weakening social networks.
Some people struggle to adapt to the new environment. New rules, higher living costs and unfamiliar surroundings can make life difficult at first. It can lead to emergence of new squatter settlements. If the resettlement site is unsuitable or poorly planned, people may return to old areas, move elsewhere illegally or create new informal settlements and forced resettlement programs can cause stress, fear, emotional traumas and sometimes conflicts with authorities if they are not informed prior to the program or involved at the preliminary stage”.
She maintained that resettlement in general can improve housing and services for people in squatter settlements.
She it may also lead to loss of jobs, social disruption, adjustment difficulties and formation of new squatter settlements if not properly managed or planned.
