With some of the fastest growing cities in the world over the next 50 years, Africa will encounter many challenges, including urban planning. The challenges of urban planning encompass affordable housing solutions for the growing number of urban dwellers, as well as the provision of infrastructure necessary for clean water, electricity and sanitation. In the United States, consumers also face affordable housing crunch, which was worsening even before the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address these challenges, SE International has embarked on a ten-year (2020- 2030) Cost of Home advocacy campaign to reduce the cost of and provide communities in rural, sub-urban, and urban centers with well-designed and affordable housing. This campaign will be informed and aided through the United States-Africa Housing Technical exchange, which evaluates housing policy and creates private and public sector partnerships to craft solutions to these challenges.

APPROACH

The young professionals involved in SE International’s United States-Africa affordable housing & entrepreneurship programs are either trained in-country or through a one to two-year affordable housing technical exchange with the United States, Germany, or other Europeans countries.

While in the United States, Canada, or Germany, the trainees are hosted by SE International and work directly on SE International construction contractors or with partner’s institutions focused on affordable housing. After the two years of intensive hands-on training, the trainees will go back in their countries of origin to either continue working with SE International or launch their own affordable housing projects.