Unlike in Kenya, where affordable housing policies may target the country’s poorest, many developed nations face a pronounced housing crisis that affects even the middle class, and has become a defining issue in national elections. When it comes to society’s poorest—homeless or unhoused people—the US, UK, Canada, and peer countries typically use patchwork programmes. Today, many government programmes to promote affordable housing focus on market interventions on both the supply and demand side. Rising real estate prices and housing market speculation in the era of low interest rates following the 2008-2009 financial crisis has exacerbated issues of access to affordable housing. Market forces, including speculative investment, have become a key barrier to sustainable housing policies, in what could be a warning for Kenya’s foray into affordable housing policy.
