An evaluation into the effectiveness of employer assisted housing in Kenya

Abstract

Housing is a basic need. Improvement in housing stock is a strategically important social and economic investment and governments all over the world employ different strategies to ensure that their people are adequately housed. Housing has remained a major concern to the government and since Kenya attained its independence in 1963, the Government has addressed shelter issues through various initiatives. Despite the interventions, housing demand far exceeds supply and consequently a big proportion of the population live in deplorable conditions. Home ownership is still very low and the average earning employees cannot afford financing to buy the low cost and median priced houses in Kenya. Further, the approaches formulated to incentivize employers to assist their employees own houses are not lucrative enough to ensure that the employers voluntarily participate in their economic interest. The objectives of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of employer assisted housing strategy in housing delivery in Kenya as proposed in the housing policy. It explored the framework of EAH, the level of implementation by employers, the level of benefit to employees, affordability under EAH programs and challenges faced in implementation of the programs