The problem of adequate housing has remained real rather than imagined in the Garden City of Port Harcourt. This is made worst by the religious and ethnic riots that took place in the Northern part of the country in not too distant past. In its characteristic manner, Port Harcourt city provided a haven to the returnee Southerners that lived in the North before the crisis.

Today, accommodation has remained a teething problem for the government of Rivers state. Because of this acute problem occasioned by a rapidly growing population, the democratic government in place since 1999 embarked in an aggressive housing policy that is bringing relief to the residents of Port Harcourt and its environs. To ease this problem, government on its own have constructed over three (300) modern housing units in blocks of flats (apartments) of four (4) storey building in Old Port Harcourt Township. The suburbs and environs were not left out as over four thousand five hundred (4500) units of two (2) apartments were constructed. Government too has developed a new satellite town at Iriebe named Stella Obasanjo Housing Estate-dedicated in memory of the late wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The apartments are in two (2) bedrooms, three (3) bedrooms, and four (4) bedrooms. There as well abound some Federal, State and Independent Estates in the city. Few of them are Aretha, Timothy, Presidential, Honeymoon, Unity, Assembly, Elekahia, Agip etc. Other residential areas are, Rumukrushe, Rumuibekwe, Rumuogba, Rumuomasi, Rumuola, Rumuokwuta, Rumuomoi, Rumuigbo, Rumuokoro, Rumuodara,Rumuepirikom, Rumueme,Rumuwoji, Old Port Harcourt Township,Npkolu, Eleka, Elelenwo, Oroworukwu, Oyigbo, Iriebe,Elekahia, Ogbunabali, Igwuruta, etc.

For those that need to stand out of the crowd, there are highbrow areas like the Old Government Reserved Area popularly called GRA. Others are the Amadi Flats, Old GRA, D-Line, Government Reserved Area (GRA) phases 1-5.

The current government have just concluded arrangement to develop a New Port Harcourt Town In Igwuruta-the town housing the Port Harcourt International Airport. However, what determines the cost of accommodations depends on a number of variables like location, availability of utilities like security, water, power and demand, type of accommodation, like
1. A Room: just a room where the easy rooms are collectively used by all the tenants in the compound.
2. Self-contained: just a room but contains in itself a kitchen and the easy rooms.
3. One bedroom apartment: a bedroom with a sitting room, having a kitchen and convenient rooms in-built. Same goes with two bedrooms, three bedrooms etc.

The mean cost range per annum includes:-

a. One room with public toilet #48,000-#50,000
b. One room en suite with in-built kitchen #120,000-#140,000.
c. One bedroom Apartment (flat) with inbuilt kitchen, sitting room #150,000-#280,000.
d. Two bedroom Apartment (flat with inbuilt kitchen AND sitting room #250,000-#280,000.
e. Three bedroom Apartment (flat) with inbuilt kitchen and sitting room #350,000-#400,000.
f. Bungalow of 2-3 bedrooms and kitchen #600,000-#800,000.
g. Duplex #1-1.5million.

Port Harcourt City is a secured city in comparison to other major cities in Nigeria irrespective of how it is viewed, so to say. The militant activities do happen rarely in the city except in an area like Rumuwoji, popularly known as Diobu. Like any other big city in the world like New York, etc, Diobu more or less would pass as the ghetto town of Port Harcourt. The major threat to security in Port Harcourt and its environs has always revolved around clashes between the Multi-national oil companies and their host communities especially as it relates to environmental pollution and degradation. Government is however working round the clock to solve these problems. Social miscreants do not particularly have a hay day in Port Harcourt because of Government's deliberate effort to prevent and fight crime. To this end, Government’s law enforcement/security apparatus is equipped to the teeth in crime policing. Government’s Joint Task Force is a heavily equipped mobile police unit that patrols 24/7 in Port Harcourt City. When faced with danger, one is advised to call the Police on 199 and they will be handy. Other licensed private security outfits abound much in the City that contributes in making the length and breadth of the entire city very uncomfortable for criminality.

There are good road network in Port Harcourt devoid of death trap potholes while government has an Agency whose essential duty is to monitor the roads for maintenance. This is so because the terrain of Port Harcourt being a delta region, the topography is not very good with road construction. Again, government is not relenting on its essential duty here. More roads are being opened while some of the old ones are being widened and upgraded. These are all geared towards creating more spaces for the influx of visitors and investors flocking into the state. There abound in the City, Hotels in the category of five star, four, three, two and a whole lot of budget accommodations (bed and breakfasts). Good examples of hotels in Port Harcourt City include Hotel Presidential, Novotel, Protea, Landmark, etc.

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Akunne C. Mario