Housing preferences and policy in Kibera, Nairobi

Abstract

This paper reports data on housing and housing preferences gathered in a random sample surrey of adults living in Kibera, Nairobi in June-Juiy 1972. Firsts brief background information on the Kibera settlement is given, together with description of Old Kibera housing and the three recent National Housing Corporation estates which are the first stage in the eventual total redevelops meat of the area. Secondly, the sociological characteristics of owner-related and tenant-related adult residents of Old and New Kibera are summarised. Thirdly, their responses to various questions on housing preferences (e.g., willingness to pay higher rent, whether they could afford to buy a house in a new estate, the preferred design, location and facilities of housings, whether they would prefer renting or buying) are analysed in terms of some characteristics that might influence preferences. Fourthly, the impact of redevelopment at Kibera is considered in terms of the number and types of people who are likely to be displaced and the equity of various ways of dealing -with resettlement of the Nubian and the poorer tenan population. The principal conclusion is that a large number of low-income people are likely to be more ill-housed after the redevelopment than before, even though many of them would be willing to pay the economic rent of decent low-cost permanent-quality accomodation. Public housing agencies should compensate for the demolition of low-income housing (when it makes way for middle-income housing)by replacing it with units of £500-1000 either at Kibera or elsewhere in Nairobi, so that the city is not left with a bigger housing shortfalls relative to demand, than before the redevelopment program. The survey results are presented in detail in the tables for the benefit of other researchers and policy-makers.