Housing Co-operatives Member Participation and Housing Affordability in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Member participation is an active process in which people take initiatives and actions stimulated by their thinking and deliberation, which affect co-operative performance. Nevertheless, low member participation in housing co-operative is the biggest challenge facing housing co-operatives. This paper examined the following objectives; to determine the social-economic characteristics affecting member participation in a housing co-operative, to analyze housing affordability indicators, to describe the level of member participation in the housing co-operatives, and to examine the influence of members' participation on housing affordability in housing co-operatives in Nairobi County, Kenya. Data was collected from 35 housing co-operatives societies registered under the state department of co-operatives in Nairobi County. The paper collected both primary and secondary data and was analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. Hypothesis testing was analyzed by mixed-effects model and correlation analysis. The result reveals that socioeconomic characteristics influence member participation in housing co-operative also, there was a significant relationship between member participation and housing affordability. Therefore, the paper recommends continuous provision of education and training for existing and incoming members to enlighten them about their democratic rights entrenched in co-operative principles and bylaws. Also the State Department of Co-operatives should sensitize co-operative members on the importance of active participation in the co-operative organization