State Department for Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga has said he and Azimio leader Raila Odinga in 2012 discussed the Affordable Housing agenda.
During an interview with one of the local radio channels, Hinga said he wished Raila could show support towards the housing fund, as he had previously included it in his campaigns.
“We may disagree on how we want to solve a problem, but we must start by agreeing we have a problem. Four million Kenyans live in informal settlements. These are Kenyans living in places where they lack basic services, and when the Government comes up with a solution to the same, the affluent and wealthy want to decide for the less fortunate,” he said.
The PS further highlighted the advantages that come with the affordable housing agenda such as, free land, tax waivers for developers and standardized cost of production for materials.
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PS Hinga said that while they are solving the housing deficit by ensuring decent and affordable units for Kenyans, they are at the same time addressing unemployment among the youth.
“Behind the program, behind the noise, there are people with testimonials. When you believe in something, you will help the likes of the 55 homeowners from Ngokomka who own houses in Park Road,” he said.
“We have a broken Housing system. We have 1,141 informal settlements in our country while over 65 per cent of Kenyans living in urban areas live in slums. If we leave the housing deficit problem to the private sector, they will only provide for three per cent and informal settlements will continue growing,” he said.
