Lead image for Affordable housing is more than bricks, mortar.
Housing in Kenya is too often treated as a matter of cement, steel and paint. That misses the point. At heart, housing is about dignity, security and giving families the stability to plan their lives.
The housing deficit remains large, at about 200,000 units a year. Urbanisation is accelerating, increasing pressure on land, infrastructure and household incomes. Against that backdrop, the 277,000 affordable units now under construction, with 45,000 targeted for completion by the end of this year, represent an important step.
But concrete alone will not solve the problem. Housing is also about financing, land administration, construction and governance. If any one of those breaks down, the entire effort becomes more costly and less effective. That is why the Affordable Housing Board has had to focus on the system around housing, not just the buildings themselves.
Affordable housing must be affordable to build and affordable to buy. That requires lower financing costs, stronger public-private partnerships and institutions capable of delivering projects faster and with greater certainty.
The Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company has helped widen access to mortgage finance, while digitisation of land records through platforms such as Ardhisasa has reduced fraud and improved transparency in land transactions. These may seem like technical reforms, but they are fundamental to making the housing market work.
New building methods
There is also the question of what happens after houses are handed over. A housing estate is not complete the moment the paint dries. Without proper management, it quickly loses value. The onboarding of 19 property managers is therefore an important step towards ensuring these developments remain well maintained, financially sound and liveable over time.
Construction itself must also evolve. New building methods and locally available materials can cut costs by as much as 25 per cent. That can determine whether a project proceeds or stalls, while creating jobs across the value chain, from quarrying and cement production to transport, electrical work and plumbing.