BEYOND WALLS: EXPLORING SUBJECTIVE HOUSING SATISFACTION THROUGH THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF SELF-HELP HOUSING RESIDENTS IN BENIN CITY

Abstract

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of residents in Benin City's self-help housing settlements, examining how subjective meanings and daily practices shape housing satisfaction. Through in-depth interviews with 10 purposively selected residents and observational field notes, the research employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to uncover five key themes: housing as autonomy and identity, cultural anchors of satisfaction, contextual definitions of adequacy, place-ballets of daily routines, and community embeddedness. The findings challenge conventional housing assessment metrics by demonstrating how residents derive satisfaction from incremental construction processes, cultural continuity, and social networks rather than formal infrastructure standards. Grounded in David Seamon's place-ballet theory and Kim Dovey's concept of home as paradox, the study argues for housing policies that recognize the phenomenological dimensions of dwelling. The research contributes to urban studies literature by centering resident experiences in informal settlement discourse and suggests new directions for culturally attuned housing policy in Nigeria's rapidly urbanizing context.