Housing is among the key priorities for many. At the same time, housing has been a major challenge for most due to factors such as costs, lack of savings and growing competition. With options ranging from buying, renting to building one from the ground up, what’s the most ideal model? Recently Eric Sibomana relocated from Nyarutarama cell of the Remera sector to Kamukina cell in Kimihurura to rent a residential house at low cost since COVID-19 had negatively affected his income as a hotel waiter. For him currently, renting is the most ideal for his taking into context his monthly income and preference of location of residence. “I was paying Rwf100, 000 to rent a house with features such as proximity to work and social amenities, but due to reduced income during COVID-19, I have relocated to another which I pay Rwf60, 000 per month. For me the best housing model is renting at an affordable costs,” he explained. Patrick Uwayo recently bought a plot of land to construct a residential house at Rwf750,000 in Bugesera district Mayange sector. He said that he chose to build a house in the area because the plot was affordable and that he chose the housing model considering his monthly income. “It is a simple house of three rooms and saloon built of mud bricks commonly known as Rukarakara. Although there is often water shortage, we hope it will soon be solved but it is near a road though it is not tarmacked. It is also nearby school,” he said. These are examples of considerations made when deciding the best model housing model. Urban dwellers continue to decry a price hike on house rent and land plots making housing units expensive. Engineer, Dieudonné Maniragaba who owns a company dubbed Majestic Group Ltd involved in housing. “First of all, renting, buying or building a house depends on one’s financial capacity. Those who have enough financial capacity choose to build their own houses tailor it to their preferences,” he said. Renting For Engineer Maniragaba, choosing rent is often guided and influenced by a set of factors including the number of family members, space and location among others. “A tenant must check the quality of the house. Location also matters with factors such as its distance to your workplace, close to social amenities such as health facilities, transport facilities, commercial centers and shops for groceries,” he noted. Selecting the type of neighborhood depending on one’s financial capacity is also paramount. Buying Buying a house, according to the engineer, requires enough time to make a decision. “You buy a house for business or occupation as your dream house where you want to live. Choosing the best housing model to buy includes selection of neighborhoods in which you will feel comfortable, consider surroundings and key nodes in the area. Some people prefer also having beautiful views from their homes like on Rebero hill,” he said. Maniragaba said that considering the location, a good home is the one built in a residential neighborhood with social amenities such as health centers/hospitals, schools, commercial centers, recreational facilities and basic infrastructure such as potable water, roads and easy accessibility to public transport. Building “With regard to building a home the size and design are the largest determinants of the cost. Major costs drivers also include layout of facilities/rooms. One needs to be involved in the procurement of materials to avoid high costs,” he said. Regarding the plot size, the cost of the building is also proportional to the plot size. “In the building process, seeks expertise in the location and site to have space for ancillary buildings (annexes), septic tank, soak pits, garden and passage of pipes among others,” he said. Size and layout of rooms, exterior beauty/appearance, and arrangement of furniture, decorations, and materials are other factors to consider. Housing demand By 2050, the population is expected to reach 25 million with an estimated increase by 2 per cent every year. Currently there are 2.8 million residential houses against the need of 5.5 million residential houses that can accommodate 22 million people in 2050. This means there is a need for constructing 150,000 residential houses every year to ensure residents’ demand is met according to new land use master plan. But urban dwellers continue to decry price hike on house renting and land plots making housing units to become expensive The Ministry of Infrastructure says that more real estate firms ought to invest in affordable housing to meet the demand for shelter that is projected at 310,000 housing units by 2032. Currently 217,000 units are needed in the country. In Kigali city alone, there is a shortage of over 30,000 dwelling units out of 31,279 units needed every year, according to studies. Experts have been calling for investments in housing units especially for people earning between Rwf35,000 and Rwf200,000 per month.
