Housing demand in Cambodia is forecasted to be 1.1 million by 2030. However, housing affordability is and will continue to be a major challenge for low income earners especially in countryside where 80% of the Kingdom’s 16 million total population lives.
According to World Bank Economic Update 2018, Cambodia’s 2014 poverty rate was 13.5% and most of these people are living in poor housing conditions. Habitat for Humanity in Cambodia also reported that about 2 million houses need critical improvement to at least meet a minimum quality standard.
Traditionally, families in rural areas choose to build the timber houses because it is more affordable than concrete homes. However, even this can be too expensive, and families are left living in old homes that are at risk of decay.
Additionally, when people build homes, they sometimes cannot afford to include toilets which reduce sanitation and can cause health issues. According to Water Aid Cambodia, more than 50% of total population in Cambodia are living without toilets.
To support Cambodia’s housing policy as well as improve low income families access to affordable houses, Mekong Homes project was initiated with the purposes of providing high quality and environmentally friendly homes that are affordable and accessible for rural Cambodians.
“We have a big dream to build high quality, and affordable homes for everyone in rural areas,” said Mr. Kang Sen, Co-Founder of Mekong Homes.
Mekong Homes is designed with the main functions of a home including toilet, bedroom and kitchen. There are 3 models that customers can choose based on their own preferences.
Mekong Homes is designed with the concept of spending less time constructing the homes, so that people can live in their good quality homes as soon as possible.
With a vision of “to create and build better living for rural communities”, Mekong Homes is projected to supply at least 100,000 homes in the next 10 years.
To make this happen, on top of developing alternative housing options, Mekong Homes is also working closely with micro-finance institutions (MFIs), NGOs, businesses and banks to provide access to responsible lending. Mekong Homes have an accredited lending support team that supports families and individuals through the process and assists families in growing their financial literacy.
As well as this, there have been meaningful results described by home owners.
Mrs. Som Chana, a farmer in Takeo Province said, “After I bought Mekong Homes, I can live better than before. Now we have a beautiful home, a clean bathroom as well as clean water.”
“Mekong Homes helps my family a lot and my children are not often sick like before. Whenever people visit my home, they always admire that my home is beautiful,” she added.
Another Mekong Homes customer from Takeo Province Mr. Sao Oeunvanna is happy with Mekong Homes because of the high quality and affordability, as well as suitability for people who live in the countryside.
To find out more about Mekong Homes, visit our HOMES page.