Demand for housing in Nairobi rises to 80,000 units per year

NAIROBI, KENYA: Nairobi city needs 80,000 units of housing per year to meet its annual housing demands.

Most of the housing needs are in the lower income segment and form the bulk of the national housing demands, which stand at 150,000 units per year.

Planning and Housing Executive Committee Member Mr Tom Odongo said that plans were at an advanced stage to develop including housing projects that will address various aspects of human endeavor.

"Nairobi needs at least 80,000 housing units per year if it is to meet the growing housing demands. We have taken a bold step to replace the old housing units in Eastlands and hope this will reduce the shortage of housing," said Odongo.

Nairobi has already churned out an urban renewal program that will see the redevelopment of Nairobi's old estates in the Eastlands.

The single dwelling units are due to be replaced by high-rise multi dwelling units that will house more residents than the present capacity.

Occupants of the present structures will be given priority of being allocated the new houses before outsiders are considered.
Odongo disclosed that projects to house the slum dwellers are also in the offing once land is available, adding that such projects will be all inclusive and will address all aspects of human endeavor especially the economic aspect.

Odongo said that residents find themselves in the slums more, because of economy than housing and other considerations and this is what the planned housing projects will seek to address.

Private housing developers contribute a lot in terms of housing development in the city with the city County government encouraging private developers to save for housing development as this will enable them to access mortgages and in turn own homes.