Kenya Plans Affordable Homes for Ageing Parents of Citizens Abroad
The Kenyan government is planning to develop new housing units under its Affordable Housing Programme specifically for ageing parents of Kenyans living abroad.
Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga announced the proposal on Tuesday, September 22, during a meeting with Kenyans living in New York, United States.
According to Hinga, the planned housing developments are intended to address concerns raised by members of the Kenyan diaspora who want their ageing parents back home to have access to better housing settlements and essential services, particularly healthcare.
Hinga said the proposal followed discussions with Kenyans abroad about the difficulties they face in caring for elderly parents while living and working outside the country.
He explained that some diaspora Kenyans had identified the welfare of their ageing parents as one of their major concerns.
“Last time, you asked that your biggest challenge as a diaspora is that you want to take care of your parents back home. Some of them have become old, and you want them to live in settlements where there is better health care,” Hinga said.
He added that the government wants to develop housing communities where elderly residents could also have access to healthcare professionals.
“So we want to start putting up homes under our affordable housing program where you can even have nurses, doctors and all those other things so that now you can be able to put your parents,” the PS said.
The proposed initiative would give Kenyans living abroad another option for securing accommodation for their parents while they remain overseas.
Rather than simply providing residential units, the proposed developments would incorporate essential services such as healthcare, allowing elderly residents to live in communities designed with their needs in mind.
Hinga said the Affordable Housing Programme is being expanded to serve Kenyans across different income groups.
The proposal comes as the government continues to implement its wider affordable housing programme across the country.
Funding challenges remain
The announcement comes amid concerns over delays affecting some projects under Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme.
A Parliamentary Budget Office report cited by Kenyans.co.ke indicated that more than 176 government projects had stalled because of delayed payments to contractors.
The stalled projects reportedly represented about 15 per cent of projects under construction.
According to the report, the affected projects included 16 affordable housing projects, 22 social housing and slum upgrading projects, 91 institutional and student housing projects, as well as 47 social and physical infrastructure projects.
The delays were linked to a reported Ksh118.3 billion funding shortfall.
The funding challenge has emerged despite the government collecting Ksh205.7 billion through the housing levy since it was introduced in 2023.
The figures have raised questions about the pace at which funds collected through the housing levy are being converted into completed housing and related infrastructure projects. Kenyans.co.ke attributed the concerns to reporting by Bloomberg.
The government is also reviewing the prices of affordable housing units, with new prices expected to be announced on October 1.
The review could affect how the programme is accessed by different categories of beneficiaries as the government continues to adjust the implementation of its affordable housing strategy.
Housing and healthcare for elderly residents
The proposed housing scheme for ageing parents represents a specialised component of the government’s broader affordable housing strategy.
For Kenyans living abroad, securing suitable accommodation and care for elderly parents can be challenging, particularly when they live thousands of kilometres away.
The proposed model seeks to address both accommodation and access to basic services by locating elderly residents in planned settlements where healthcare workers and other essential services could be available.
The initiative would also give diaspora Kenyans the opportunity to secure homes for their parents through a structured government housing programme while continuing their employment and lives outside Kenya.
The proposal is part of a wider government effort to expand affordable housing delivery and provide homes to Kenyans across different income categories.
Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme has also been positioned as a means of increasing access to decent housing while supporting employment and economic activity through construction and related industries.
The government has continued to encourage eligible Kenyans to register for available units through the Boma Yangu platform.
The proposed elderly housing developments would add another target group to the programme, with the specific focus on ageing parents of citizens living abroad.
However, the government’s ability to implement the new proposal will come alongside the existing challenge of completing stalled housing projects and resolving funding and contractor payment issues.
As Kenya reviews the cost of its housing units and continues expanding the Affordable Housing Programme, the proposed diaspora-focused housing option will depend on how the government structures the developments, healthcare services, financing arrangements and eligibility requirements.
For Kenyans abroad, the proposal could provide a formal housing option for parents who require more suitable accommodation and easier access to healthcare as they grow older.
