NAIROBI, March 12 — Experts met in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Thursday to explore strategies for expanding affordable and sustainable housing in African cities amid rapid urbanization and rising housing demand.
The one-day Partnership Implementing the New Urban Agenda National Stakeholder Forum brought together government officials, development partners, and private sector actors to exchange ideas and strengthen collaboration on the development of affordable housing on the continent at scale.
Anaclaudia Rossbach, United Nations under-secretary-general and executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), said virtually that the world is facing a global housing crisis, with almost three billion people experiencing affordable housing inadequacy.
“The challenge is particularly acute in Africa, where delivery of affordable housing will require coordinated action among government and the private sector,” Rossbach said.
She revealed that the UN-Habitat is supporting Africa to increase the supply of affordable houses through assisting governments in developing favorable policies and regulations to attract private sector investments.
Byron Buyu, Kenya’s secretary for the urban and metropolitan development department at the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, said that the East African country aims to construct 200,000 units per year in order to close the affordable housing deficit.
Buyu added that the Affordable Housing Fund is providing concessional loans with 30-year tenures to promote the construction of low-cost houses. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
