Call for joint effort to realize the issue of adequate and Affordable housing in Kisumu.

 Grass root Trust Coordinator Lawrence Kapiyo{M} address a press conference in Kisumu on Friday where he said a joint effort is needed to realize the issue of adequate and Affordable housing in Kisumu-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

 By Dickson Odhiambo.

March 15, 2019.

Call for joint effort to realize the issue of adequate and Affordable housing in Kisumu.

VARIOUS Stakeholders have been urged to work together so as to help in realizing the issue of affordable housing in Kisumu.

Grass root Trust Coordinator Lawrence Kapiyo says there is real need to have a serious collaboration between the County, National Government and the people to help in the realization of the issue of affordable housing.

Addressing the press during a meeting to meet various stakeholders from informal settlement in Kisumu on the issue of affordable housing and the forthcoming International Conference on adequate and affordable housing which kicks off next week in the Lakeside City, Kapiyo said the issue of an acute shortage of housing in Kisumu should be urgently addressed.

He says the Lakeside city has an acute shortage of housing of about 4,500 units annually, adding this is a trend which is very worrying and something needs to be done so as to address the shortage.

“The figure of 4,500 units annually as the shortage of Housing in Kisumu is very worrying and this is according to a survey done in 2015 and from 2016 to date the figures have changed hence it is very vital for us to come together and address this agenda,” Kapiyo says.

He says the issue of low cost housing is meant for the people earning between shs 15,000 to 49,000 is not clear in the declaration on affordable housing.

“It is not clearly stated in that declaration because someone earning shs 15,000 and the other one earning 49,000 have no clear figure they should pay respectively for their low cost housing,” he adds.

He says the Kisumu County Housing Policy should be available and followed by various legislation.

Kapiyo adds that such a policy should have provision for housing Fund that will help in the development of affordable housing in Kisumu.

“We are aware that the Kisumu County housing policy which should be handed over to the Executive by next week and we hope its content wont changed because the people has proposed that it should provide for House Fund,” he further says.

Kapiyo at the same time says, the forthcoming international Conference in Kisumu on adequate and affordable housing from next week on Tuesday looks towards achieving the launching of one informal settlement either in Obunga, Manyatta, Nyalenda, Bandani, Kaloleni or Manyatta Arab areas.

The Grass Root Trust Coordinator says by launching such it will help in declaring Kisumu as a model city in the implementation of Agenda number four on low cost, adequate and affordable housing.

 He adds that the decent shelter is fundamental to physical and psychological well-being and the social stability of communities hence has necessitated the move to have the international conference.

Apiyo says it has a central importance to quality of life and human dignity with considerable economic, social, cultural significance. 

The Coordinator says the  next week’s international Conference is informed by the following trends namely; Global and local instruments that emphasize the importance of the right to adequate housing, Sustainable Development Goal number 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable “
About 200 participants both nationally and internationally are expected to attend the three day conference in Kisumu.

ENDS