Over 550,000 Kenyans have submitted applications under the government’s affordable housing program.
The Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development estimates the country currently faces a shortage of more than 2 million housing units.
Speaking In Kwale County, Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, and Housing, Alice Wahome, assured of government’s commitment to address the gap with support of the National Treasury and contributions from Kenyans.
“We need at least 2 million housing units. That is the deficit we are struggling with. We require to build at least 200,000 units per year,” Wahome stated.
“We have to role out a very robust program which we have done with the support of the National Treasury and Kenyans. We realised that we needed to fund the program and that is why we came up with affordable housing levy,” she added.
The affordable housing project is a key pillar of the government’s agenda to promote economic growth and improve living conditions by increasing access to home ownership.
CS Wahome noted that the project is not only about building houses but also creating jobs, and enhancing security by ensuring decent living conditions.
“We have been able to at least employ 145,000 youth. On the site, in the smallest project, we have at least 200 to 300 youth working per day. The economy around those places and security improves immediately just by mere provision of these projects,” she stated.
