A spatial assessment of rental housing services and constraints In municipality of Meru

Abstract

This study examines both the quality and quantity of housing services in Municipality Of Meru (MOM); analyzes inadequacies and/or constraints in housing service provision and has proposed measures and/or solutions that will rectify the existing poor housing services. The study area consists of the spatially segregated and heterogeneous but socio-culturally and politically unified residential estates in the micropolitan MOM. High cost of living and more so that of building materials like cement, iron sheets and wood as well as soaring labour wages constitute the major constraints to expansion in housing supply. Growing increase in non-agricultural or urbanized population explains the increasing rate at which the demand for housing services exceeds supply in the housing market. Solutions to housing demand and supply constraints lies in governments finding a means of mass production of building materials and most important intensifying the housing service provision so as to lower the production costs of housing and hence lower costs of housing services or rents. Better still, public and to some extent, private-housing schemes will definitely facilitate provision of adequate shelter services for large number of urban residents.