2013-11-14Mathias Haufiku RUNDU - The Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development says there are only 1 033 serviced plots in towns around the country on which houses under the Mass Housing Development Programme can be constructed. Government has launched an ambitious N$45 billion mass housing development programme through which it intends to build 185 000 houses by 2030 to mitigate the current nationwide 100 000 housing units deficit. Khorixas tops the list with 200 serviced plots followed by Nkurenkuru with 186 serviced plots and Windhoek with 115 plots. The ministry’s permanent secretary, Sirkka Ausiku, said the programme would be implemented in the towns that have readily available serviced land. “People should not misunderstand the programme and think that it is just about the construction of houses, it also includes the upgrading of informal areas and servicing of land,” explained Ausiku yesterday. “Some towns do not have serviced plots available; this means that we will have to start with servicing plots on which the houses can be built,” she elaborated. “I am sitting with the list of towns and the number of serviced plots they have which they themselves have submitted, but there might be towns with serviced land, yet on the list I have it is indicated otherwise,” said the PS. Ausiku indicated the programme would commence with a pilot project. Asked how the lack of serviced plots around the country might affect the programme, she answered: “It will definitely affect the programme but it is not a matter of funds being absent, but rather limited capacity within our regional councils and local authorities. I have been saying over and over again that the budget implementation rate is too low. Regional councils and local authorities must improve so that we can help the poor.” She called on local authority councils to serious ponder developing land in the informal areas. “Since Tipeeg started government has given money to assist local authorities to service land in the informal areas but this has not been happening,” she said. Despite this shortcoming there are still local authorities and regional councils which have money in their accounts from the 2011-2012 budget that was supposed to be used to service plots in informal areas. “This gives a picture that the poor people do not matter and it should not be the case,” said Ausiku. Construction of houses on all 1 033 available serviced plots countrywide would require around N$2.8 billion. Over 11 000 housing units must be built yearly if government is to meet its objective of building 185 000 houses by 2030. Government will later this month commission the N$45 billion mass housing development programme through which it intends to build 185 000 houses by 2030 to mitigate the nationwide housing deficit. The backlog is predicted to hit the 200 000 mark by 2030 if the ongoing housing crisis is not addressed. Under the ambitious housing programme, the land servicing cost per plot will be N$75 000 while the housing construction costs will be N$280 000. The annual investment for the programme is N$2.5 billion. By Mathias Haufiku 2013-11-14Mathias Haufiku
