State lays out affordable homes path

The government’s plan on affordable housing development is out.

According to the plan, by February 2019, if all goes well, the Kenya Mortgage Refinancing Company, which has already been registered, and whose regulations are being drafted, will be launched.

Discussions between the State Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Treasury on the establishment of a National Housing Development Fund are also in their final stages.

Also, the 500,000 affordable houses’ sites and land has been identified.

This especially for the flagship projects, which include Park Road, Starehe, Shauri Moyo and Mavoko and lease documents are ready with a housing portal also in the works.

“We are working with ICTA (Information and Communication Technology Authority) to develop a housing portal where people register to buy houses. We are evaluating building materials and technology providers for housing building materials and technologies exhibition,” Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development James Macharia says.

In the plan by the ministry, they have also signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with seven county governments for development of at least 2,000 housing units in each county and are still pursuing the other counties.

The review of the Sectional Properties Act is also complete and awaiting tabling in Parliament soon.

In the master plan, the flagship projects will deliver 167,640 houses. Park Road will 1,640 houses, Makongeni 20,000, Muguga Green 900, Shauri Moyo 5,300, Starehe 3,500 and Mavoko 5,500. Social housing projects, whose intention is to to improve informal settlements will deliver 15,000 units to the affordable housing agenda. Nairobi County government is expected to deliver 67,800 houses. The government has identified some projects as the drivers of the affordable housing projects. In these projects, which are on MoUs signed with counties, the counties will receive support from National Government on the development of infrastructure for land that will be made available for housing developments for 2,000 units per year.

“Signed counties have identified land and are waiting master planning for urban centres. Counties in advanced negotiations are reviewing the agreement while identifying suitable land,” the affordable housing detailed plan indicates.

For the 22 counties and towns in question, eight counties have signed the MoUs with 14 counties in advanced negotiations, which will lead to building of a total of 48,000 units.

The targeted counties include Kiambu, which is expected will give 6,000 houses before the end of the plan, and 2,000 each for Kitui, Homa Bay, Makueni, Nyandarua, Taita Taveta, Meru, Bungoma, Nyeri,Murang’a, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia, Uasin Gishu, Narok, West Pokot, Kirinyaga, Embu, Kisumu, Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Mandera and Isiolo.  

dmwitari@standardmedia.co.ke