Breaking: Affordable housing allocation next month in Kenya

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:46 pm

The government will start allocating 1,370 afforadable housing units next month.

State Department of Housing and Urban Panning PS Charles Hinga told the Star the policy and criteria for allocation will be published next week.

The criteria will give a clear picture of the basis for allocation. The first batch of flagship houses completed under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s affordable housing project was handed over to the government in January.

Those who have contributed the minimum 12.5 per cent (Sh187,500) qualify for the allocation.

Some 228 units were handed over About of 1,370 units are expected to be constructed at the Park Road, Ngara site.

Non-discrimination is a key criterion.

Hinga said, for instance, the allocation for the Park Road project will consider civil servants and non-civil servants on 60 to 40% criteria.

“Once a member has been allocated a unit, they will be removed from the AHP Purchase Allocation Waiting List,” he said.

The PS said another 260 units has been completed and is ready for inspection before being handed over to the government.

“The next batch will be completed by January including the parking lots,” he said.

The PS said 26 counties had signed a deal with the national government to construct 2,000 housing units each under the Boma Yangu initiative.

Hinga said Nairobi is constructing 1,500 units in Pangani and another 1600 units will be constructed under the Jevanjee project.

“Kisumu, Homa Bay and Kisii counties are also ready to do their groundbreaking once the Covid-19 situation is over,” he said.

The CS said since the policy changed from statutory to voluntary, 300,000 Kenyans have registered in the Boma Yangu portal.

“Out of thes, 300,000 some 25,000 are already contributing and have saved over Sh253 million so far,” he said.

Hinga said the department has been conducting stakeholder engagements and public sensitisation of the project, trying to eliminate pubic mistrust.

Hinga said the restoration of public trust in the civil service is crucial to the success of the Big 4 Agenda, in particular, the provision of affordable housing.

“The most important thing that will make this programme (affordable housing) succeed is trust. And yruth be told, there has been a lot of mistrust between the public service and those we serve,” he said.

So far the government has allocated affordable housing certificate to 20 private developers.

(TheStar)