Client: Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD), working with the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA)
Date: June 2023
Data sources: Rwanda Census 2022, Rwanda Social Security Board earnings records, household data and primary research
Capabilities: Household segmentation, affordability analysis, spatial analysis and mixed methods research
Overview
Housing policy needs to work for households with different incomes, living arrangements and ways of earning a livelihood. We contributed the housing market analysis to a wider study commissioned by BRD and its partners on affordable housing and low-cost building materials and technologies.
The market study was prepared with CAHF, Kigwa Consulting and Fatou Dieye. It examined rental and ownership demand in Rwanda’s main urban centres, alongside the supply and financing constraints that shape the options available.
Understanding demand
We analysed census and household data to understand existing housing conditions and segment the market. Earnings records added a view of income levels, income stability and the capacity to take on formal housing finance. Spatial analysis helped connect household circumstances to the urban areas where housing is needed.
Research on household-led development added a practical perspective on how people build and improve their homes. Together, these sources helped identify the gap between households’ needs and what existing housing and finance products can offer.
Informing an affordable housing approach
The analysis informed recommendations on housing supply, finance and the enabling environment. The wider study also examined construction costs, materials and technologies through specialist project partners. Its purpose was to support housing delivery that responds to household affordability while contributing to Rwanda’s broader economic development.