MST-Department of Public Policy and Administration

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Browsing MST-Department of Public Policy and Administration by Subject "A Case of the Starehe Project"

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    Determinants of Government’s Supply of Affordable Housing: A Case of the Starehe Project in Nairobi City County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2021) Masinde, James; Mwiathi Peter Silas
    Globally there exists a housing shortage. Research shows that over one billion people globally live in slums and more than one million do not have homes. What is more worrying is the trend where over one million people migrate to urban areas every week and are born across various cities in the world. Most studies have reviewed issues relating to supply of houses in Nairobi but none has linked this specifically to the determinants to provision of 500,000 affordable houses by the Government. This study will bridge this gap in previous studies and also make recommendations on how policy makers should adequately address the issues identified. Guided by the following objectives the study sought; to assess how availability of titled land determined the supply of affordable housing units by the Government in Starehe constituency in Nairobi County; to establish how the cost of construction determined the Government plans to develop affordable and decent housing in Starehe constituency in Nairobi City County; to assess whether alternative appropriate building technology determined provision of affordable housing by the Government and lastly whether policies and regulations determined the provision of affordable and decent housing by the Government. The study was guided by the investment theory and the Urban Spatial theory. The study adopted a descriptive design and semi structured questionnaire was used to gather feedback. This was analyzed and findings presented in form of tables indicting frequencies, mean and standard deviation. The target respondents were residents of Starehe constituency, housing developers, national and county government officials dealing with housing. A total of 97 questionnaires were filled out and analyzed. The study findings indicate that it is possible for the Government to meet its ambition of supplying 500000 housing units’ as long as the key determinants were addressed. The study identified availability of titled land backed with willing sellers as one key determinant to the success of supply of affordable housing by the Government. Another key determinant was the use and approval of alternative appropriate technology. The government should approve alternative cheaper methods of construction and make the materials available locally. The other key determinant identified was the policies and regulations relating to construction of affordable houses. This needs complete overhaul and be linked to the timelines by the Government for provision of affordable housing units. The cost of construction was found not be a very key determinant to supply of affordable housing units by the Government. The study recommends that a database be created to indicate available land with title deeds be created and this be matched with the supply of the affordable houses. Further it recommends that the Government streamlines its policies and regulations to encourage construction of affordable houses.