Opportunities to improve the quality of low-income housing in Kidiwa and Kapsuswa estates in Eldoret town, Kenya.

Abstract

Housing as both an economic good and a basic need is one of the most challenging aspects of rapid urbanization taking place in developing countries (Mitullah, n.d.). As the population of urban areas continues to balloon with each passing day, dignified housing becomes a more and more scarce commodity. This scarcity of low-income housing is a result of a wide array of problems including increased population density, inadequate development of infrastructure limiting areas where settlement is possible, the astronomic value of land in urban areas, and the real estate market addressing itself exclusively to middle- and high-income segments of the market. In an attempt to remedy the problem, on December 12th, 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched ‘The Big Four’ plan for economic development of the country. Its focus is on four pillars, one of them being the provision of Affordable Housing. As part of the affordable housing pillar, the government plans to deliver five hundred thousand new housing units over a period of five years. A 2020 status report from the State Department of Planning revealed that only 2,202 units have been constructed (Big-Four-Agenda-Report-2018_19.Pdf, n.d.) This is not the first time the Government of Kenya has come up with an ambitious plan to solve the problem of scarcity of quality low-income housing. In previous attempts, projects and policies either were not followed up with implementation, or the solutions have not served the population they were meant to (Temple 1973, (Mitullah, n.d.) instead being occupied by middle income earners, and those with close ties to the government. Different approaches have been employed often with limited success. Incremental housing, redevelopment and sustainable urban renewal are some options that are considered in this thesis. They present different opportunities to overcome some of the challenges that past endeavours have faced. This study seeks to understand the current housing situation in two housing estates in Eldoret Town; Kidiwa and Kapsuswa and determine what recommendations can be made to solve the problem of quality housing there. The research objectives will be to identify the recommended housing standards for low-income households in urban areas, establish the existing housing conditions for low-income residents in Kidiwa and Kapsuswa Estates in Eldoret Town and identify factors that contribute to the current housing status. The thesis will also seek to determine the housing aspirations of the low-income households first from a broad perspective, then from the perspective of residents in the two Estates. Finally, it will propose planning interventions that can contribute to meeting the low-income resident’s aspirations of quality housing. Using a population census, information about the site and its inhabitants will be collected, and through purposive sampling, key informants identified to best serve the objectives of the study. The adoption of both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection tools like open and closed ended questionnaires and observation checklists among others will ensure the data requirements are met and the analysis and presentation will accurately reflect the situation.