Determined to reduce housing deficit in the country, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has commenced the construction of 260 housing units in Guzape District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Managing Director of FHA, Prof Mohammed Al-Amin said that the Authority intends to achieve greater efficiency in housing delivery and need to encourage the use of modern technology and injection of private sector funding into housing delivery in the country.
The Rockville Garden Estate would epitomize a real smart community comprising 260 houses on the rocks, made up of detached Duplexes, twin duplexes, terrace houses, two bedroom and one bedroom luxury apartments. The project is being developed by Bauhaus International Ltd, expected to be completed and sold out within 30 months.
He noted that the project which was planned to add at least 1,500 housing units to the FCT housing stock, is sitting on part of the Authority’s 100Hactres of land situated across two districts of Apo and Guzape acquired for housing development for the medium and high income groups.
According to him, the estate would provide a safe, comfortable, attractive and functional shelter utilising the ambient terrain and a functional neighbourhood to support. Daily living activities of individual families within the community while not compromising their cultural aspirations and preferences.
Al-Amin observed that the FHA has developed not less than 15,000 housing units in the FCT since 1991 adding that the authority initiated the Private Public Partnership model of housing delivery after discovering that its capacity to deliver on her mandate was dwindling as a result of the withdrawal of government funding in the face of growing housing demand.
He observed that work on other part of the estate. Which is being developed in partnership with another developer has attained about 40 percent completion
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Bauhaus International Ltd, Victor Onukwugha said that housing all over the world has become a hydra-headed socio-economic problem that needs to be tackled frontally adding that PPP is a verritable tool for solving the problem effectively and sustainably.
He explained that the Rockville Gardens Estate will deploy smart technology-sensors embedded in streets and homes, Wi-Fi broadcasts and other Information and communication technologies for lifestyle living and also provide serenity, sanguinity and security for its residents.