Tuesday, October 1, 2024

A booming African capital seeks a housing fix

Also today: A 7,000-year-old city emerges as a haven from Dubai's soaring rents, and the empty Airbnbs near Florida's Disney World.

As Rwanda's rural residents make their way to the fast-growing capital of Kigali in search for economic opportunities, the city's population is expected to double over the next 25 years. The influx poses a challenge for developers, who are scrambling to keep up with soaring demand for affordable housing in a tiny, densely populated country that has experienced remarkable economic growth. 

Currently, 79% of Kigali residents live in informal settlements with limited access to basic public services. The Rwandan government is in the midst of developing a new housing strategy to lower building costs for developers and use the nation's limited land more efficiently, but it faces a uphill battle, Ondiro Oganga reports. Today on CityLab: A Housing Crisis Brews in Rwanda's Capital City

— Maria Clara Cobo

More on CityLab

A 7,000-Year-Old City Emerges as a Haven from Dubai's Sky-High Rents
Sharjah is beginning to lure investors to its shores less than two years after passing a law allowing foreigners to buy property in select areas of the conservative emirate.

One Way to Tackle Extreme Poverty: Replace Dirt Floors
Nonprofits are creating innovative housing solutions to cut cases of diarrhea and other illness, but more than a billion people still live on earth floors that can cause problems.

Empty Rentals Burn Vacation-Home Owners Near Florida's Disney World
To stand out in a cooling market, landlords are spending $150,000 in Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter decor.

A presidential milestone

100
Jimmy Carter, the first US president to turn 100, is known not only for his international diplomacy but also his work building houses with the nonprofit group Habitat for Humanity. Read more from our archive.

What we're reading

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