Pan-African housing development financier, Shelter Afrique, has said that African continent requires four million housing units per year to meet its housing needs, adding that the continent is facing acute housing crisis.
“These high growth rates have given rise to a surge in the demand for urban infrastructure and housing in urban areas. Unfortunately, urban planning and investment in housing are often lagging behind resulting in housing deficits. The surge in demand for housing, in turn, has driven up housing prices and often pushed quality housing out of rich for the majority, especially the poor, low, and middle-income households,” Nghidinua said.
“It doesn’t matter which country you are referring to any more. Uganda is facing an annual deficit of 1.6 million housing units, Kenya 2 million housing units, Tanzania 3 million housing units, South Africa 3 million housing units, and Nigeria 17 million housing units. Wherever you go, it’s a crisis and it is incumbent upon us to heed the call to action,” Chimphondah said.