HENTIES BAY – Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has urged local authorities and the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) to continue strengthening housing programmes to expand and reach more beneficiaries, especially low-income earners.

She made the appeal on Friday while handing over 49 houses built by the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) with the financial support of First Rand Foundation, Pupkewitz Foundation and Ohorongo Cement at Henties Bay. 
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila noted that many Namibians are still faced with limited access to housing especially low-income groups, as well as a backlog in serviced land . 

“Many of our people cannot afford conventional home loan facilities offered by the financial institutions, and free-hold land. Hence government continues to prioritise housing and ensures that the housing provision is inclusive and cost efficient,” she said.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that it is against this background that government has provided financial support to boost housing provision efforts of the SDFN.

“To date, government’s financial support to the SFDN amounts to N$71.8 million, which has been used to construct 2 625 houses countrywide, while N$17 million went towards the upgrading of the informal settlement. This support will continue and we plan to increase this budgetary support in the coming financial years,” she said.
She added that government has also put in place support models such as flexible land tenure to facilitate accessibility to land and decent shelter. 

This system, she says, is being rolled out in different towns in the country and will be one of the solutions to alleviate residential land and housing problems in the country. 
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also called upon the private sector, especially the real estate industry and the banking sector to develop affordable housing models and financing products that meet the needs of low-income groups, especially those who will be given land through the flexible land tenure system. Meanwhile a further 41 houses funded by government will be constructed for low-income earners at Henties Bay.