‘Young Workers Now Work Mainly To Pay Rent, Transport’

The Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has raised concern over the growing burden of rent and transportation costs on young Nigerian workers, warning that many salary earners are increasingly spending a substantial portion of their incomes simply to keep accommodation and get to work.

HDAN raised the concern in a statement to mark World Habitat Day 2026, stressing that Nigeria’s housing affordability debate must go beyond the cost of buying or renting a house.

The organisation said housing affordability should also take into account transportation costs, location, household income and access to employment.

According to HDAN, many young workers are caught between expensive accommodation close to employment centres and cheaper housing located far from their workplaces.

It said that while workers may save money on rent by living farther away from city centres, the savings are often eroded by the daily cost of transportation to and from work.

“A house is not truly affordable if the worker cannot afford the journey from that house to his or her workplace,” HDAN stated.

The organisation said the combination of annual rent, transportation, food, electricity and other essential expenses was leaving many young workers with little money for savings, investment, skills development or eventual homeownership.

HDAN warned that the situation could have wider economic consequences, noting that workers who spend most of their disposable income on housing and transportation have limited capacity to build financial security or invest in their future.

The housing advocacy group therefore called on the Federal and State Governments to establish a Young Workers Housing and Rental Support Programme targeted at low- and middle-income salary earners.

It proposed a partnership involving government, employers, financial institutions, pension institutions, mortgage organisations and credible private developers to provide affordable rental accommodation, rent-to-own opportunities and accessible homeownership financing.

HDAN also called for the development of affordable housing close to employment centres and major mass-transit corridors.

It said young workers should not be forced to live extremely far from their workplaces simply because they cannot afford accommodation within the cities where they work.

The organisation further urged governments and financial institutions to support a shift from the widespread practice of demanding one or two years’ rent in advance to monthly or quarterly rental payments.

According to HDAN, rental-guarantee and rent-financing products could help protect landlords while allowing salary earners to pay rent in line with their monthly incomes.

The organisation also called for greater integration of housing and transportation policies.

It said new mass-housing developments should be planned alongside reliable buses, rail and other affordable mass-transit systems.

“An affordable house located far from employment without affordable transportation may ultimately become expensive housing,” HDAN said.

It further urged governments at all levels to expand reliable and affordable mass transportation, arguing that reducing commuting costs could immediately improve the disposable income of millions of workers.

HDAN said transportation affordability should therefore be considered when assessing whether a city or housing programme was genuinely affordable.

The organisation also called for stronger pathways for young workers to move gradually from renting to homeownership through rent-to-own schemes, affordable mortgages, employer-assisted housing programmes and housing cooperatives.

It stressed that Nigeria’s housing policy should not focus exclusively on homeownership, noting that millions of Nigerians would remain tenants for significant periods of their working lives.

HDAN called for greater investment in rental housing, appropriately located land for affordable housing, supporting infrastructure and incentives for credible private developers delivering homes within the reach of low- and middle-income Nigerians.

It also urged large public and private employers to reconsider staff housing and employer-assisted housing programmes, saying such initiatives could be developed in partnership with housing cooperatives, developers and mortgage institutions.

HDAN said World Habitat Day should prompt policymakers to ask a fundamental question: “After paying for accommodation and travelling to work every day, how much of the average worker’s salary is actually left to live on?”

It said the answer should become an important consideration in national and state housing policies.

The organisation maintained that housing affordability should no longer be measured simply by the selling or rental price of a house, but by the combined cost of housing, transportation and essential household expenditure relative to income.

HDAN warned that without such an approach, cities could continue pushing teachers, nurses, junior civil servants, security personnel, media workers, retail workers, artisans and young professionals farther away from the communities they serve.

The organisation called on federal, state and local governments to use World Habitat Day 2026 to develop practical programmes that make both housing and mobility more affordable for ordinary Nigerians.

“Our cities must work for the people who keep them functioning every day. Young workers should not have to choose between paying rent, getting to work, feeding their families and saving for their future,” HDAN said.