Over the years the government and civil society’s response to the deplorable living conditions in the country’s informal settlements –  has been to “put a band aid” on a deep-rooted reality of systemic exclusion. One such reactive approach is to rebuild homes destroyed following unlawful demolitions without addressing the underlying challenge of security of tenure for the bulk of urban residents.

Nairobi’s population expected to rise to 8 million by 2025 (UN 2015) – almost double the population in 2018. In the absence of integrated urban planning to keep up with this rapid pace, the exponential growth of informal settlements – which currently house approximately 50 % of the population – will only continue. Nairobi’s declaration of a Special Planning Area (SPA) for three informal settlements recognizes that conventional urban planning tool kits are insufficient to address the realities of urban poverty by placing slum communities and other stakeholders at the centre of planning.

AMT’s social housing programme builds on multidisciplinary research undertaken in Nairobi and Kiambu counties to analyse existing county spatial plans and incorporate the intricate dynamics and special needs of informal settlements. AMT support includes experimentation, co-design, and implementation of “proof of concept” pilots in close collaboration with community organizations and other partners. With an initial six pilot projects in Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Naivasha, Kwale and Homa Bay counties, facilitates access to financing and technical support to develop dignified housing solutions through a revolving fund model.