This research report assesses the affordability of private residential developments in Addis Ababa and delineates factors that contribute to their affordability. Literatures related to concepts of housing affordability; household income levels; housing prices and mortgage financing, etc are reviewed. The research studies examined revealed that the combination of high population and high urban growth rates coupled with a high prevalence of urban poverty have placed massive strain on Ethiopian cites. Accordingly, the critical urban issue is: lack of healthy, affordable housing for all sectors of the urban population. This is especially true in Addis Ababa as it has a share of 23% of the country’s urban population. In Addis Ababa, there is strong housing demand as supply lags behind demand; conditions of existing houses worsen and the population is increasing. To date, the government housing program has only managed to build only about half of the demanded units. It has, therefore, became increasingly imperative that the government should concentrate on reforming and managing the policy and legal framework in such a way as to create an environment for the private sector to provide housing.

This research report assesses the affordability of private residential developments in Addis Ababa and delineates factors that contribute to their affordability. Literatures related to concepts of housing affordability; household income levels; housing prices and mortgage financing, etc are reviewed. The research studies examined revealed that the combination of high population and high urban growth rates coupled with a high prevalence of urban poverty have placed massive strain on Ethiopian cites. Accordingly, the critical urban issue is: lack of healthy, affordable housing for all sectors of the urban population. This is especially true in Addis Ababa as it has a share of 23% of the country’s urban population. In Addis Ababa, there is strong housing demand as supply lags behind demand; conditions of existing houses worsen and the population is increasing. To date, the government housing program has only managed to build only about half of the demanded units. It has, therefore, became increasingly imperative that the government should concentrate on reforming and managing the policy and legal framework in such a way as to create an environment for the private sector to provide housing.

This research aims to answer the question whether Ethiopia has adopted adequate measures to realize the right to housing. This dissertation will be informative to many Ethiopians about their right to housing vis-à-vis the duty of the government and the measures it has taken. It can also serve as an incentive for the government to take adequate steps to realize the right to housing thereby influencing policy-making. Further, the research will bridge the gap in the existing literature on the subject. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Dr Atangcho Nji Akonumbo of the Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaoundé, Cameroon. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM