Purpose-built houses help to mould students

University of Nairobi

The University of Nairobi Main Campus in Nairobi.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • A modern student requires amenities such as reliable water and electricity supply, 24-hour high-speed internet access and exercise and leisure facilities nearby.
  • Furthermore, it’s not only about where they live but also its impact on their future.

With 75 per cent of Kenya’s population under 35 – and the country’s median age 18 – it makes sense that their needs be prioritised in planning for housing.

A large youth population paired with rapid urbanisation creates a cocktail of acute needs, a primary one being accommodation. University enrollment was 560,000 in 2016 from 27,000 in 1989. However, there was no corresponding increase in investment in student housing as only 40,000 beds are available on campus.

Last year’s high school leavers will join university soon and we could witness another double intake accommodation crisis in public universities similar to the one of 2013. With the significant strain on on-campus housing, students either resort to unsafe overcrowding or illegal subletting, or venture into nearby estates to find accommodation at rates above their capability. Those who cannot afford it are forced to live in dilapidated dwellings that not only directly affect their ability to learn but also adversely affect their overall safety and wellbeing.

Accommodation is, however, not only about a place for students to lay their heads. It must focus on providing a conducive environment for young people to explore their new-found freedom safely, and promote learning, growth and holistic personal development.

A study commissioned by Acorn Holdings found that security, amenities provided, rent charged and location were the top four deciding considerations for selecting accommodation. Security is clear to everyone – nobody wants to be mugged on their way to class at dawn or return home to find their room cleaned out by thugs.

Use of natural resources

A modern student requires amenities such as reliable water and electricity supply, 24-hour high-speed internet access and exercise and leisure facilities nearby. Furthermore, it’s not only about where they live but also its impact on their future.

As the world turns towards net zero goals in climate change and net positive targets in social sustainability, the real estate sector is under immense pressure to adapt and become part of the solution.

Sustainability calls for efficient use of natural resources like water, energy and land. Planned densification, where building is done upwards instead of outwards, reduces the financial constraints caused by high land costs and the distance between housing and associated utilities and amenities.

Climate-smart developers also have the opportunity to construct housing that leverages natural light and grey water to reduce their overall resource usage. Involvement of third-party sustainability monitoring partners is important.

Social, financial and environmental sustainability play a key role in ensuring thriving communities. Addressing ‘market failures’ in clean, safe and affordable ways is the basis to creating thriving business that benefits everyone. Purpose-built student accommodation fall in that market gap and will be central in creating an enabling environment for today’s students to develop into tomorrow’s leaders.

Mr Raghav is the chief investment officer, AHL, and managing director of AIML. [email protected]