Affordable housing programmes in developing countries: The situation of low-income earners and owning houses in Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa

This paper aims to answer why affordable housing programmes implemented to assist low-income earners in selected countries (Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa) have not benefited low-income earners from owning housing in these programmes. The paper used a mixed research approach in data collection and analysis. The desk review, questionnaire, key informant interview (KII), and observation were used to collect primary and secondary data. Content and descriptive statistics were applied to analyse data. The findings show apart from South Africa where low-income earners can afford a house in affordable housing programmes, Burundi and Ethiopia programmes have served civil servants who are not low-income earners. Generally, Civil servants belong to medium- and high-income earners and can finance their housing using private financing. Public programmes for affordable housing have been benefiting those who were not in urgent need of housing. This has left low-income earners to live in horrible and miserable houses. The paper recommends that developing countries should well-define and determine who is low-income and prioritize low-income earners in public affordable housing programmes.