Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) says it’s giving low cost housing to city dwellers a priority in 2015 in a bid to respond to a long standing shortage of cost friendly dwelling units in the city.

During the National Leadership retreat in March last year, leaders emphasised the need to provide low cost housing units a priority for the government and RHA was tasked to oversee the development.

Esther Mutamba, the Director General of RHA, said the body has acquired prime land in Ndera and Kanombe in Kicukiro District, which is suitable for the establishment of more than 2,000 dwelling units.

Mutamba says the construction of the housing units is on course, adding that the authority is currently looking for a consultancy firm to draw the housing designs for the proposed units.

RHA says the sites will be designed to accommodate between 70 to 100 high-density low rise apartment blocks per hectare.

The housing units in   Kanombe and Ndera are both targeting low-and medium income earners and will have two to four bedrooms, according to RHA.

Each of the units will cost buyers between Rwf15 million to Rwf30million, according to RHA.

It’s not clear when the houses will be ready for use but experts say the government’s involvement in the housing sector will help reduce the deficit for affordable houses for majority of the city’s low income earners.

According to the City of Kigali authorities, the total demand for new dwellings in Kigali is likely to hit 344,068 units by 2022.