The people of Mavoko have a great reason to smile as the government plans to build over 10500 housing units in the region. The project which is being undertaken by the national housing corporation. the Stone Athi waterfront city will consist of 5000 units under the affordable housing mantra and 5500 units targeting the middle and high income clients.
The affordable housing units will retail at a price of Kshs 1 million to Kshs 3 million with the upper end ones retailing for about 2 million shillings to 8 million shillings.
The project will also see the construction of a mall in the city, a park boat riding facilities, children’s playground, hospitals and schools. The city will help ease the housing deficit that is currently being experienced in the country especially on the affordable housing sector.
In the current market, Kenya is continuously experiencing a housing deficit of 250,000 units per year as demand surges due to the rural urban migration. Only 50,000 units are constructed each hence the deficit continues to rise each year.
The stone Athi waterfront city was officially launched by the transport, infrastructure and housing cabinet secretary James Macharia on 3rd Friday December 2021.
This project comes as a relief to the people of Mavoko, who are recovering from the harsh effects of covid 19. the project is expected to employ over 20000 youths both directly and indirectly.
A project of such magnitude will have a bigger effect on the whole construction industry as the national housing corporation is seeking to use the expanded polystyrene(EPS). With Mavoko and the larger Machakos county getting the project that is worth 20 billion shillings it seems as if Kenya will continue to be a construction site for the next few years.
The national housing corporation has an EPS manufacturing plant that is based in Mavoko and they estimate that if the production and transportation cost go low then the buyer/resident will pay less for the apartments.
Young people were encourage by the housing principal secretary Charles Hinga to buy houses before they purchase vehicles. The PS indicated that a personal costs almost the same amount as an affordable apartment.
