By Billy Mijungu
There have been arguments and counter-narratives about whether a new Government should scrap or fundamentally change the current housing approach. That would be very bad news. We may need to retire any misguided thinking that seeks to move away from uplifting and dignifying the struggling population.
There are questions such as, who does not have a house? But a shack is not a house. Square iron sheets dotting the slums are not houses, and neither are mud-made units adequate homes. We must strive to build for the bottom, the middle and the top, because there is much more to housing than simply putting up structures.
Government must therefore put significant effort into social housing while allowing the private sector to lead in affordable and market-rate housing. Government should not compete directly with private developers where the private sector can deliver. Such competition can crowd out private investment and weaken the housing ecosystem, including the industries and supply chains that support construction.
Social housing should also establish a National Rent-to-Own Social Housing Scheme across the country. Government can either construct basic, decent living facilities directly or partner with citizens and communities to build homes and living units. Those supported through such programmes can repay over time through a structured Repay for Built-Up Aid (RBUA) model, creating a revolving fund that can finance additional households.
Social housing is also a public-health intervention. It provides access to basic sanitation, drainage, water and waste-management systems. Everyone knows the problem of flying toilets in informal settlements. Decent housing can help address these conditions while improving the health and dignity of communities.
Social housing is equally about security. Properly planned settlements allow Government and security agencies to identify hotspots, establish clear entrances and exits, improve lighting and provide better emergency access, making communities safer.
But social housing is also about dignity, aspiration and the desire to do better. A decent home gives families a foundation from which they can improve their lives.
Yes, Government can do better.
We can also re-empower the payslip by gradually reducing the housing levy as the housing programme matures, lowering the percentage deducted from workers’ earnings point by point while building a revolving housing fund. As repayments from rent-to-own schemes return to the fund, the same resources can finance more homes and improve more livelihoods.
Housing should remain social where Government intervention is most needed, while affordable and market-rate housing should provide space for private investment, innovation and competition.
