The country faces increasing land pressure due to rapid urban development, prompting engineers to advocate for stricter building-related laws that encourage vertical housing through building permits.
This approach could save valuable land and curb deforestation while accommodating growing housing needs.
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Vertical housing refers to the construction of multi-story buildings, which minimize land use compared to single-family homes. This approach is particularly relevant in areas planned for single-family housing under the national land use master plan.
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This housing model needs enforcement in many parts of the country, as the current model consumes a lot of space, contributing to accelerated deforestation and a reduction in agricultural land.
According to Rwanda's 2019 forest cover map, Kigali City has a forest cover of approximately 12,641 hectares, which represents 17% of the city's total land area.
However, between 2009 and 2019, afforestation increased by 26.4%, while deforestation rose by 23.0%.
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This means that, on average, 2.6% of forest cover was added each year, while 2.3% was lost annually. The map indicates that the net annual increase in forest cover in Kigali City has been just 0.3% since 2009.
To protect these green spaces, experts suggest that vertical housing should be enforced in many parts of the city.
"As the demand for housing increases, land becomes scarce. The government should change the law. For instance, in cities, there is a need to reduce the size of a standard plot from 20 meters in length and 15 meters in width to 10 meters in length and 15 meters in width. Vertical housing should also be enforced on this new size of a standard plot," explained Eng. Albert Rene Yuli Nahimana.
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Currently, the standard plot is 300 square meters, measuring 20 meters in length and 15 meters in width, in compliance with the 2019 ministerial order that determines building categories and procedures for applying for and granting building permits.
Eng. Nahimana explained that such a change could allow Category One houses (R1 Residential Zone on the master plan) to be converted into G 4 category houses.
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While a Category One house on a 300 square meter plot has no floors, it could be transformed into a G 4 house, allowing for vertical housing with four-floor apartments on an even smaller plot.
"The order can enforce the construction of a four-story house on a 15-meter by 10-meter plot, which can be done gradually in phases. Parents can allocate upper floors to their children or even sell them to others," he noted.
He added that architects and engineers could design housing solutions for any size of plot.
Eng. Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, who specializes in architecture design and building project execution, stressed the need for awareness campaigns to change the mindset of people who are still focused on single-family homes.
"Currently, a residential house with two floors is no longer costly, thanks to new designs," he said, noting that technological advancements are making multi-floor residential houses more affordable.
"You can live in one unit, and the other can generate income for you," he added.
New housing policy to make vertical housing mandatory
Olivier Kabera, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, said that with the forthcoming revised housing policy, vertical housing will become mandatory through the application of construction permits in most parts of the country.
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"There is a new housing policy we are still discussing. If approved by the cabinet in February, it might address the issue. We have seen deforestation in areas such as Gikondo, where only a small part of the forest remains.
Forests are on the decline. Housing is increasing in places like Bugesera, Ruyenzi [Kamonyi], Musanze, and others.
We need to take urgent action. Vertical housing is the solution. We want to enforce it so that building permits are provided only if the landowner plans to implement vertical housing in cities and other areas," he said.
According to the Rwanda Housing Authority, the country needs 5.5 million housing units by 2050, up from 2.5 million in 2019, to accommodate an estimated 22 million people.
