•National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee rejected the requirement for a 10 percent deposit for affordable home buyers.
•During the launch of the Ministry's Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 , CS Wahome said that the affordable housing project is meant to help curb housing deficiency.
Image: PCS
Kenyans will no longer be required to pay a 10 per cent deposit upfront to own affordable homes, Housing PS Charles Hinga has said.
Hinga on Tuesday said that the 10 per cent requirement was one of the major concerns raised during public participation in the Affordable Housing Bill.
"Part of this lawmaking is public participation. One of the things the committee went through was this issue of the deposit," he said.
"Many Kenyans, everywhere said they like the programme but cannot afford the deposit. So both houses ( Senate and National Assembly) agreed that no more deposit should be required upfront to own the houses," Hinga added.
The PS was speaking at the State House after President William Ruto assented to the Affordable Housing Bill.
Before, people seeking to be allocated an affordable housing unit were required to provide proof of a requisite deposit of at least 10 per cent of the value of the affordable housing unit being applied for.
Other requirements include copies of Kenya Revenue Authority, personal identification number certificates, and individual national identity cards.
National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee rejected the requirement for a 10 per cent deposit for affordable home buyers.
The axing of the clause from the 2023 Affordable Housing Act formed part of the committee’s recommendations on the Act before it was considered by the whole house ast week.
The deletion of the clause was based on stakeholder concerns that the requirement would impact the number of individuals participating in the program.
“The committee noted stakeholders’ concerns and agreed to delete the amount of 10 per cent as a deposit and further recommended that the deposit amount be prescribed in the regulations,” the committee noted in a report.
During public and stakeholder submissions to the committee, residents in Homa Bay County, for instance, argued that the 10 per cent deposit rate requirement was excessively high and that it could deter eligible individuals from participating in the affordable housing programme.
Additionally, the residents noted the axing of the requirement would make the program more accessible and inclusive, to increase participation and ensure broader access to affordable housing opportunities for a larger segment of the population.
On Monday, Lands and Housing CS Alice Wahome said over 100,000 affordable housing units are under construction in various parts of the country.
During the launch of the Ministry's Strategic Plan for 2023-27 , CS Wahome said that the affordable housing project is meant to help curb housing deficiency.
"The development will bridge the 2 million housing deficit for the growing population in urban areas," Wahome said.