Nairobi: The multimillion affordable housing project in Homa Bay town is now complete and ready for occupation, with allocation processes underway to distribute the units to beneficiaries. Eng. Thomas Ofwa, Managing Director of the National Housing Corporation (NHC), confirmed that all 110 housing units have been finalised and are ready to be occupied after President William Ruto launched the project today. 'Some 110 Kenyans will benefit from this multimillion shillings' project, which started in 2023,' he noted.
According to Kenya News Agency, the units comprise 30 studios, 40 one-bedroom units, and 40 two-bedroom units in phase one of the affordable housing project, with phase two set to begin shortly after. The housing initiative is a collaborative effort between the county government, which provided the land, and the National Housing Corporation, funding the project.
NHC architect Stanley Ngeny highlighted the project's economic impact on the local community, noting that much of the labour was sourced locally. The project attracted about 2000 labourers sourced within the county. 'The windows installed in the units were crafted by local jua kali artisans, who organised themselves into groups to carry out the work,' he said.
The project also aimed to empower women by engaging them in landscaping tasks. 'The landscaping was undertaken by women's groups as a deliberate effort to promote women's empowerment,' he added. In phase two of the project, a total of 500 units will be done, with 10 per cent set aside for the physically challenged. 'Those with special needs will be given considerations during the allocation process,' added the architect.
The units are offered on a tenant purchase scheme allowing buyers to pay a deposit upfront and then cover the remaining cost through rent over a 30-year period. According to Ngeny, the allocation is structured into three categories: social, affordable, and affordable market. The social category can occupy the units without paying the deposit. 'The government has guided that those earning up to Sh20,000 are considered among the social category. The units are divided in such a manner that 20 per cent go to the social, 50 per cent to the affordable and 30 per cent to the affordable market. This arrangement ensures that Kenyans across different income brackets have a fair opportunity to benefit from the project,' Ngeny noted.
The affordable category includes those earning between Sh. 20,000 and 150,000, while the affordable market falls under those earning more than Sh. 150,000 as a monthly salary. He highlighted that the project is the first in Africa to receive EDGE certification (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), recognising it as a green building initiative. EDGE, which is an innovation of the International Finance Corporation, is a green building certification system that is focused on making new residential and commercial buildings more resource-efficient.