Abstract
Affordable housing is a people-centered strategy in dealing with homelessness. However, the increasing number of people in need of homes in sub-Saharan Africa suggests that this strategy has not afforded homes to the homeless. Theoretically, affordable housing exists to provide cheap and decent homes, but in contrast, these social houses are practically unaffordable, which raises the question of why this is the case. This paper articulates the impediments that account for unrealized affordable social housing in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that tackling these impediments through the recommended ways will booster realization of this dream. In conclusion, while provision of affordable housing to all who are in need of homes in various countries in sub-Saharan Africa is a desirable goal, all indications point to the reality that this mission is far from an accomplished status.
Highlights
African countries are currently facing different economic, social and political challenges that directly and indirectly affect the living standard and welfare of their citizens
The question of whether there is any need for affordable housing sub-Saharan Africa is too simplistic with an obvious answer, because affordable social housing has been the response to homelessness and shortage of homes elsewhere in the world
The interconnectedness of systems in the society presupposes that the fact that “affordable housing” has not sufficiently addressed homelessness in sub-Saharan Africa is not an isolated scenario, but a function of some obstacles and impediments identified in this paper
Summary
African countries are currently facing different economic, social and political challenges that directly and indirectly affect the living standard and welfare of their citizens. The fact that there may be tracks of completed houses under social housing scheme in various cities that are not occupied, while there is a huge number of people in need of homes who cannot own them, suggests that affordable housing projects have not achieved the target of providing homes, especially the categories of homes that are within the economic means of the vast population of the needy in the sub-continent. Given this prevailing ironical situation, where the intended target groups miss out, this paper argues that a number of obstacles hinder access to affordable housing schemes for the vast majority of people who need homes in various countries in the sub-continent. It is the mission of this paper to highlight the obstacles and provide recommendations to deal with the unaccomplished mission in order to boost affordable housing in the sub-continent
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