From slums to cities: Tackling housing deficit

The affordable housing/File

As Kenya rolls out its ambitious plan to ensure every citizen has access to decent housing, a looming global housing crisis casts a stark shadow over these efforts.

The country faces an annual deficit of 200,000 housing units, compounded by a rapid urbanisation rate of 4.4 per cent.

Without urgent action, the proliferation of informal settlements threatens not only the physical landscape of cities but also the health, safety and livelihoods of residents.

The government’s Affordable Housing Programme, which aims to deliver 250,000 units annually across the 47 counties, seeks to reverse this trend, promoting well-planned urban areas and providing essential infrastructure.

Yet Kenya’s challenge mirrors a much larger global problem.

UN-Habitat reports that 2.8 billion people worldwide live with inadequate housing, including 1.1 billion in informal settlements and over 300 million homeless, leaving millions without dignity, stability or safety.

Thehousing crisis is not merely about shelter—it intersects with poverty, climate change and humanitarian emergencies.

Exposure to extreme poverty, rising sea levels, forced displacement and urban congestion puts vulnerable communities at risk.

“Adequate housing is essential for health, education, dignity, safety and social inclusion. Without it, development goals cannot be achieved,” UN-Habitat warns.

Headquartered in Nairobi and active in over 100 countries, UN-Habitat works to transform cities and human settlements through policy, technical support and collaborative action.

Its 2026–2029 strategic plan targets expanding access to housing, land and basic services, especially for vulnerable populations in informal settlements and those affected by crises.

Kenya’s housing efforts, aligned with the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11, aim not only to provide roofs over heads but also to build communities where no one is left behind.

By addressing housing inadequacy, Kenya and the world can lay the foundation for safer, more resilient and sustainable cities—ensuring that access to shelter becomes a cornerstone of human dignity and development.