Earning Sh20,000 or less? Apply for affordable housing without deposit

The government has scrapped the mandatory deposit for the affordable housing scheme for individuals earning Sh20,000 or less.

The move to remove the upfront cost is aimed at providing more opportunities for low-income households to access affordable housing.

Those seeking to own homes under the affordable housing project are required to make an initial lump-sum deposit of 5 percent, which has been one of the biggest barriers to home ownership for low-income households.

With the new arrangement, eligible applicants, whether in formal employment or the informal sector, will not be required to pay an upfront deposit when applying for houses under the Affordable Housing Programme.

“We have determined that the deposit is a big barrier, especially for the people in the lower echelons and lower income, so therefore if you earn Sh20,000 and below, whether it is formal or informal income, there will be no deposit,” Housing PS Charles Hinga said during a recent interview on Citizen TV.

In facilitating low-income earners like casual labourers, jua kali artisans, and small scale traders to get an opportunity to own their own homes, the government will cover the required deposit through a structured assistance scheme allowing beneficiaries to repay the amount under flexible terms, allowing households to manage their finances with ease.

In facilitating more people to own houses through the programme, the government in July this year reduced the deposit requirement from 10 per cent to 5 per cent under the Deposit Assistance Programme.

“The Affordable Housing Programme continues to explore ways to increase access and affordability. Reducing the deposit requirement allows more people, especially those at the bottom of the economic pyramid, to qualify for a home,” said the acting CEO of the Affordable Housing Board Sheila Waweru.

The Affordable Housing Programme forms part of the government’s broader Affordable Housing Programme, a key pillar of its development agenda, which seeks to deliver decent housing to low- and middle-income households while creating jobs and stimulating local economies.

President William Ruto officially commissions the Mukuru Estate Phase II project, in Nairobi, featuring 5,000 units, on December 18, 2025

Units under the affordable housing schemes are categorised as social housing (for those earning below Sh20,000), affordable housing (for those earning between Sh20,000 and Sh149,000) and affordable middle-class housing (for those earning above Sh149,000).

Available units range from studio apartments to one, two and three-bedroom houses, with a price range between Sh640,000 and Sh2.9 million, which are also available through a rent-to-own option.

The journey to obtain a home starts from registering on the official Boma Yangu platform via an eCitizen account.

The government is currently constructing thousands of units, the biggest housing project in the history of the country, across several areas of the country.

Last week, President William Ruto presided over an event to hand over keys to more than 4,500 new homeowners at the Mukuru estate, a turning point for thousands of families that enabled beneficiaries to move from iron-sheet shacks into modern high-rise apartments equipped with basic services and social amenities.