Housing Poverty In Ethiopia

A lack of homes, toilets and too many slums

Projects: construction, renovation, WaSH, slum rehabilitation

We have been fighting housing poverty in Ethiopia since 1993. We have helped over 16,000 families by building safe, decent homes

We run a diverse, innovative programme, tailored to meet the local housing need - from slum upgrades to improved water and sanitation facilities.

Identifying The Need

About 70% of housing units in Ethiopia require total replacement; only 30% is in fair condition. Most houses are made of wood and mud, have cracked walls, leaking roofs and dirt floors.

At a national level, adequate sanitation is only 20% – 27% in urban areas and 19.4% in rural areas. 43% of households use pit latrines (makeshift toilets), and 38% of households have no toilet facility.

Coverage of safe drinking water is only 51% countrywide and 39% in rural areas, according to UNICEF, 2011.

About 80% of Addis Ababa is considered slum areas, characterized by widespread sanitation challenges. Families live in crowded rooms and are exposed to health and safety risks

How We Help

Urban Slum Upgrading

This project assists vulnerable families living in poverty to move to new homes with access to improved sanitation and safe water. The project involves renovation of houses, construction of communal toilets, communal water points, walkways and ditches.

Vulnerable Group Housing, And Water, Sanitation And Hygiene

This project is implemented to support households in Oromiya and Amhara Regional States. With this project, Habitat Ethiopia aims to improve the living conditions of vulnerable families who live in poverty, and are affected by health issues and disabilities.

Disaster Risk Reduction And Response

This project started in the Southern Region in 2017 in response severe drought. The project expanded its scope to water, sanitation and hygiene resilience building in the Oromia Region. Habitat Ethiopia increases access to sustainable and safe water supply for vulnerable communities by constructing water and sanitation facilities. The project also aims to improve hygiene knowledge and practice inf targeted communities. Habitat Ethiopia also partners with schools to improve hygiene and sanitation awareness.

Read more about our projects in Ethiopia

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Slum Upgrading

The costs of renovating slums are often greater than similar new houses built on an open sub-urban land. Our programme serves vulnerable families living in dilapidated houses in slum areas which are fully renovated to make them habitable and decent.

The houses are often torn down and rebuilt. The program also includes construction of healthy floors, walkways, ditches and solid waste management in slum areas.

Clean Water And Sanitation

This program involves construction of toilets and water supply systems for low-income families. These services are provided to families who live in urban slum areas with extremely poor sanitation and limited water supply. The project provides communal stand water and toilets.

The supply of water to families also includes construction of large water service systems such as spring development, construction of service reservoirs, pumping systems and installation of main water lines for wider area coverage. Hygiene training is also provided for families and communities.

Supporting Vulnerable Groups

We help families in break the cycle of poverty in Ethiopia by constructing decent and affordable homes through the "Vulnerable Groups Housing Program". The maximum monthly household income of the target beneficiaries is $50 or less.

Vulnerable Group Housing is a housing program where extremely needy and vulnerable families with complex poverty, health and disability problems become homeowners with none or limited contributions in building the houses. The disabilities can be physical, mental or visual.

Wash - water sanitation and hygiene poster being put up by a child

Housing Poverty In Ethiopia

We have been fighting housing poverty in Ethiopia since 1993. We have helped over 16,000 families by building safe, decent homes

Identifying The Need