Compressed earth block (CEB) technology creates a platform for connecting the idea of ‘self-help’ to affordable housing crisis in sub-Saharan African countries. CEB technology in self-help housing provides a sustainable form of urban housing development, through a balance of the environmental, economic, and social aspects of housing. The United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aspire to ensure access not only to affordable housing, but also basic services and the upgrading of slums. This introduces the notion of sustainability, which is yet to be achieved in the housing development of developing countries, most especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.