Kenya plans affordable housing units for ageing parents of Kenyans in the diaspora
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Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga says the government will build homes under its affordable housing programme aimed at the ageing parents of Kenyans living abroad.
Kenya's government plans to build affordable housing units targeting the ageing parents of Kenyans living abroad, Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga has said.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 22, during a meeting with Kenyans in New York, Hinga said the proposed developments would address a concern among diaspora Kenyans who want their elderly parents to live in better settlements with access to essential services including health care.
The initiative would give Kenyans living abroad the option to secure suitable housing for their parents while they continue to live and work abroad, the PS said, adding that the plan is designed to accommodate Kenyans across different income brackets.
The announcement comes as the government's affordable housing programme faces scrutiny over delivery. According to the Parliamentary Budget Office, more than 176 projects have stalled over a Ksh118.3 billion funding shortfall, representing about 15 per cent of projects under construction, including 16 affordable housing projects, 22 social housing and slum upgrading projects, 91 institutional and student housing projects and 47 social and physical infrastructure projects.
The shortfall comes despite the government collecting Ksh205.7 billion through the housing levy since its introduction in 2023, raising questions over the pace at which funds are being converted into completed homes. The government is also reviewing the costs of the housing units, with new prices set to be announced on October 1.