Social housing and the Big Four Agenda: Why State goal could remain a pipe dream

NAIROBI, KENYA: Realising affordable housing in line with the Big Four Agenda could remain a pipe dream, according to a new report.

According to the study, while the Agenda proposes specific financing options for affordable housing developments, it remains vague on financing of social housing. The Big Four Agenda considers provision of social housing from a cost perspective - houses selling for Sh600,000 (one room) and Sh900,000 (two rooms). The housing units are reserved for people earning below Sh15,000. It also refers to housing in informal settlements as social housing.

“There are specific initiatives to attract the private sector into affordable housing development without indication on how accrued from the Government subsidy will benefit end users,” says the report.

The report commissioned by the Economic and Social Rights Centre – Hakijamii is titled State of Housing in Kenya – Will Government Strategy Deliver on Social Housing looks at the state of social housing in Kenya in the context of the Big 4 Agenda. “The timescales for the project which should have started in April 2018 are unrealistic, given the numbers of legislative instruments the Government is yet to put in place,” its says.

The study that was done in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu says that the hurried starting of the project may mean due processes are not followed including public participation and adequate eviction notices. Currently, the State housing programme is already associated with threats of evictions with notices issued to residents of Kibera, Mariguini and Kiambiu in Nairobi.

It recommendsthat the Government should consider alternative housing development models like cooperative and incremental housing.The report underscores the need for the State to clarify how it will fund social housing.