Affordable Housing on course to be rolled out in all Constituencies – PS Hinga
The Government has maintained that it is committed to ensure all Kenyans have access to decent, dignifying and affordable housing.
Principal Secretary in the State Department for Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga said the Affordable Housing program is being rolled out in all the 290 constituencies.
This assurance comes hot on the heels of the Government’s unwavering commitment towards the construction of 200 housing units in the 290 constituencies in the country.
So far the Government has awarded 17 contracts in lot 1 for development and advertised a further 35 in lot 2.
Access to housing shapes cities and demand for housing will continue to increase not just in the Country but globally due to urbanization.
The PS said Kenya has one of the highest income inequalities in the World and as a result a majority of the population can’t afford to own a house.
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The Affordable Housing Program is therefore one of the Government initiatives to reduce the inequalities and streamline the housing value chain.
Employment Oppotunities
The PS added that behind the housing program there are employment opportunities for the youth, women in construction, the Jua Kali Sector among other enterprises.
“We are where we are because we left the housing problem to the private sector, we stopped funding National Housing Corporation which was behind estates like Jericho, Ziwani, Buruburu among others.”
The private Sector provides housing for only 3% of the population and with the high cost of land in the Country, high coast of construction and lack of financing, home ownership becomes a dream.
This has culminated to the increase of informal settlements in the country. The PS says the Affordable Housing Program will cure the inequality by providing a platform for hustlers to own homes.
At the same time, the Government is building 214,000 housing units for university students where we have a demand of 640,000.
The PS spoke during a breakaway session during the devolution conference in Uasin Gishu dubbed ‘The Constitutional Right to Housing; A Reflection of the past 10 years of Devolution.’
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