Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science

Housing deprivation is an important spatial expression of wider socio-economic inequality because the quality, occupancy, service connections and accessibility of a dwelling reflect both household resources and the distribution of public investment. This paper examines spatial patterns of housing and socio-economic deprivation in rural communities of Rivers State, Nigeria, and discusses their implications for rural development planning. This study was conducted in 21 rural communities selected from six Local Government Areas (LGAs)—Abua/Odual, Degema, Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo, Ikwerre and Ogu/Bolo in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted a transformative research philosophy and concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design. A household sample of 399 was determined using the Taro Yamane formula, with 372 valid household observations used in the deprivation-index and inferential analyses, complemented by key informant results. Housing deprivation was measured through a composite Housing Deprivation Index (HDI) comprising housing quality, overcrowding, infrastructure access and neighbourhood-condition indicators. A Relative Importance Index (RII) ranked the severity of individual housing problems, while chi-square analysis tested the relationship between socio-economic deprivation and housing condition. Results reveal marked spatial inequality. Ogu-Bolo recorded the highest HDI (2.61, very high), followed by Abua-Odual (2.47, very high), Opobo-Nkoro (2.32, high) and Degema (2.18, high); Oyigbo (1.96) and Ikwerre (1.83) recorded moderate deprivation. Overcrowding was the most severe indicator (RII=.88), followed by shared household facilities (.84), inadequate potable water (.83) and electricity deprivation (.80). The cross-tabulation further showed that 51.4% of highly deprived households occupied poor housing, compared with 18.1% of low-deprivation households. Socio-economic deprivation was significantly related to housing condition, χ² (4) =48.672, p<.001, Cramer’s V=.256. The paper concludes that rural housing deprivation in Rivers State is multidimensional and geographically uneven, with riverine and peripheral communities carrying a disproportionate burden. It recommends institutionalising deprivation-index-based planning, prioritising high-deprivation LGAs, integrating housing with water, electricity, sanitation and accessibility improvements, and strengthening participatory and spatially targeted rural development.