mpact of Market Rent on Housing Affordability for Local Government Employees in Mokwa

The lack of affordable housing has overtime presented significant challenges for civil servants, affecting their financial stability and overall quality of life. This study evaluated the impact of market rental values on housing affordability for local government employees in Mokwa, Niger State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive quantitative research design; the required data for the study were collected from 314 randomly sampled local government employees residing in (Kanji junction, Mokwa central and Kpege area) Mokwa through structured questionnaires. A total of 268 questionnaires were returned valid for analysis indicating 85.4%. The data were analysed with the aid of time-series, descriptive statistics, and regression analysis, which were used to examine rental trends, property affordability, and the impact between rental values and housing affordability in the study area. Findings revealed that rental values in Mokwa have generally increased, with larger residential units experiencing the most consistent growth. Affordability varies widely across different property types and income levels, with lower-income employees often exceeding the 30% affordability benchmark for housing costs. Regression analysis reveal R² value of 0.601, indicating that 60.1% of the variation in housing affordability can be explained by fluctuations in market rent and p-value of 0.040, implies that there is a statistical significant impact of market rental values on housing affordability, underscoring rental costs as a key determinant of housing access for civil servants in Mokwa. In order to alleviate the housing burdens of civil servants and provide useful policy insights for tackling housing affordability issues, the study recommended rental regulation, incentives for affordable housing, and income-based rental assistance for lower-grade staff. The study also recommended increased supply of affordable units and adjusted rents to match income levels.