In Abidjan, rent has become a luxury. A monthly struggle. A silent anxiety that gnaws at households. From studios in Yopougon to modest apartments in Cocody, prices are skyrocketing, without any safeguards, while incomes stagnate.

The high cost of living isn't just a slogan. It's reflected in the household budget, in transportation fares, but above all, in the landlord's rent statement. In ten years, rents have sometimes doubled, even tripled, without any significant improvement in housing and living conditions. Unreliable water, unreliable electricity, dilapidated roads—comfort doesn't keep pace with the bills.

Today in Abidjan, decent housing often represents more than 40% of the average worker's monthly income. An economic absurdity. A social time bomb. Yet, the market remains largely unregulated. The tenant suffers, the landlord dictates, the state observes.

However, social housing programs, while useful, struggle to meet actual demand. There are too few, too few, and they are sometimes out of reach for those with the lowest incomes. As a result, the suburbs sprawl, neighborhoods become overcrowded, scams flourish, and poverty takes hold.

Indeed, the issue of rent has become political and social, even urgent. Without serious regulation and a bold land policy, the high cost of living continues to silently exclude thousands of Ivorians from the city, which they nevertheless sustain.

Certainly, Abidjan is growing, yes. But for whom?

A city cannot be modern when housing becomes a privilege.

An independent contribution from Alex Adou