Absa Bank Kenya has partnered with International Housing Solutions (IHS) Kenya as the title sponsor of the 2nd IHS Kenya Affordable Housing Conference, reinforcing its commitment to unlock scalable solutions that can accelerate housing delivery and expand homeownership across the country.
The conference, taking place on Thursday this week, will convene developers, financiers, policymakers and investors to address structural bottlenecks slowing affordable housing delivery and explore practical pathways to scale.
Kenya faces a housing deficit of over 2 million units, with annual demand rising by 200,000–250,000 units against supply of fewer than 50,000, underscoring a widening gap.
Speaking about the conference, Absa Bank Kenya Managing Executive for Corporate and Investment Banking, James Agin, said the challenge goes beyond construction and requires coordinated action across financing, infrastructure and urban planning, hence the significance of the conference.
“Affordable housing is central to economic inclusion, productivity and urban resilience. As cities grow, housing systems must evolve to support sustainable and inclusive development,” said Mr. Agin.
He noted that affordability pressures emerge early in the development cycle, driven by high land costs, infrastructure burdens, financing constraints and long project timelines, affecting both developers and prospective homeowners.
Through its Real Estate Finance business, Absa is working across the housing value chain to improve project viability, strengthen developer-offtake linkages and expand mortgage readiness, enabling buyers to access financing earlier.
The bank is also advancing financing models that better reflect African market realities, including solutions tailored for informal and non-traditional income segments often underserved by conventional mortgages.
“Delivering affordable housing at scale will depend on how effectively we connect capital, expertise and execution across the ecosystem. Stronger collaboration will be critical to unlocking commercially viable, inclusive solutions,” Mr. Agin added.
The conference is part of ongoing efforts by Absa and IHS Kenya to drive partnerships, innovation and investment toward building more inclusive, resilient urban communities.