Kenya is working to make it easier for more people to access mortgages and own homes. Housing PS Charles Hinga says lenders should consider alternative information such as mobile-money transactions, SACCO savings, rent and utility payments when assessing borrowers without formal salaries. Hinga says more than 280,000 houses are currently under construction, worth about 731.5 billion shillings and creating over 640,000 jobs. More than 45,000 homes are expected to be completed by December. He says the success of housing programs should be measured by home ownership, not just the number of houses built.

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