| dc.description.abstract | The objective of the study was to establish the strategic approaches to affordable
homes in Kenya with specific reference to Nairobi County. This study adopted a
qualitative research design. Primary data was derived from interview guides
formulated to target top management of several stakeholder organizations. The
researcher personally administered the interview guide to the managers of Nairobi
City County, top managers from the Ministry of lands and Urban Development, and
top managers in Housing Finance Institutions who were handy in providing the
relevant information sought by the researcher. Responses from managers indicate that
some of the strategic approaches adopted to affordable housing include: efficient and
effective resource allocation mechanism among responsible departments in the
housing department, formulation, implementation and review of the county housing
sector policy, improving the living environment in slums and informal settlements
through slum upgrading as this is where most people do not have affordable homes. In
addition the respondents stated promotion of low cost housing development through
housing sector incentives, promotion of research and utilization of appropriate
building materials and technologies and coordination of stakeholders on housing and
human settlement matters in the county. It is important that the stakeholders`
management but more relevantly the county of Nairobi explores the possibility of
outsourcing additional functions such as land allocation, rates collection, and research
on ways of making housing affordable as well as city planning. If this is done, it is
hoped; the competitive positioning of the county and other housing stakeholders will
be taken a notch higher and is likely to create value and a sustainable affordable
housing. It is recommended from the study that for the right to adequate housing to
become a sustainable reality for the urban poor a lot needs to be put in place. Kenya
probably has had enough policy advice already but with minimal notable results in
affordable housing. The fact that years of policy advice and pledges have not
produced dramatic reductions in slums suggests that something very fundamental is
lacking in the country: visionary, democratic and dedicated leadership. Substantially
realizing the right to adequate housing demands, among other things, that Kenyan
leaders develop and manifest the political will to live up to their commitments. It also
demands that these leaders should be continuously pressurized through legal and
peaceful strategies to fully implement their commitments to the poor. | en_US |
