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Alternative building technologies that reduce construction costs while expanding access to decent housing are emerging as practical solutions to Kenya’s worsening housing crisis, with experts calling for their wider adoption to help bridge the country’s growing housing gap.
Kenya’s housing shortage remains a major challenge despite increased investment in the sector, with demand continuing to outpace supply. The country requires about 260,000 new housing units annually, but formal supply remains significantly below this level, contributing to a deficit estimated at more than two million housing units.
The challenge is most pronounced in urban areas, where rapid population growth, high land prices, rising construction costs, and limited access to affordable financing continue to restrict homeownership. Many households have been forced to depend on rental housing as the cost of acquiring land and constructing homes continues to rise faster than incomes.
The technologies, which include Compressed Stabilised Soil Blocks (CSSBs) and Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSBs), use locally available materials to produce durable building blocks and can lower construction costs by up to 25 per cent compared to conventional methods.
