NHE to provide mortgage for mass houses

Home National NHE to provide mortgage for mass houses

Nuusita Ashipala

Ongwediva-Cabinet has directed the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) to provide mortgages for the unoccupied mass houses to ensure that all houses are occupied by the end of March.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development Minister, Sophia Shaningwa in an interview with New Era yesterday, said she made the submission to Cabinet in order to get rid of mass houses in towns where banks cannot extend their mortgages such as Khorixas, Karasburg and Outjo.

“We want the houses to be mortgaged by NHE to people who can afford instead of getting a bond from the bank …. instead of keeping houses unoccupied,” said Shaningwa.

NHE Manager for Corporate Communications and Marketing Eric Libongani said the housing enterprise has made great strides and will confidently deliver on Cabinet’s directive.
Libongani said they started handing over houses already in December with close to 46 houses expected to be handed over soon in Bukalo.

“The delays were with the bank, we are adamant and confident that we will hand over all unoccupied mass houses by March 31,” said Libongani.

The minister said the construction of houses valued at N$500,000 is viable and results are evident with the construction of over 1,000 houses at Walvis Bay.

The minister said over 300 houses at Walvis Bay are already occupied.
She said the prices have been inflated by greedy persons who want to make up to 150 percent profit.
The minister stressed that the majority of the people in need of housing are in the low to ultra-low category, hence such people need someone to step in and assist.
She thus called on local authorities to avail serviced land to private developers to ensure that those seeking houses procure affordable housing.

She said the first mass housing was a learning curve and encouraged local authorities to know their customers and their income.

In the same vein, the minister also encouraged the local authorities to create a master list in order to familiarise themselves with their customers.

With the second roll out of houses, which already kicked off in Walvis Bay, houses will be constructed in accordance with what the customers can afford.

“Otherwise if we do not know our customers, we will be building for ghosts,” said Shaningwa.