When there is an affordable housing deficit, the best option for shelter is often in informal settlements, where residents self-build their own homes over time. Integrating informal settlements into cities, and ensuring that they are adequately serviced by public infrastructure, is a major challenge. With no quick solution, slum upgrading requires years of planning, engagement, and implementation.
Mukuru, Nairobi, is a high-density informal settlement home to 300,000 people, vulnerable to fires, flooding, and these issues are exacerbated by poor drainage and solid waste management. In 2017, after years of research and advocacy by Slum Dwellers International, the county government declared Mukuru a Special Planning Area (SPA), which means that the settlement has two years to prepare an integrated development plan (IDP). The creation of the plan is a collaborative project between academics, the private sector, government agencies, and Mukuru residents.
Source:
Habitat for Humanity International. (2021) Best Practices for Housing in Africa. Cities Alliance: Global Knowledge.
Habitat for Humanity International. (2021) Building Solid Ground. Habitat for Humanity International.