OMUTHIYA - The National Housing Enterprises (NHE) has announced a new design for its houses across various ranges, bringing a new taste to prospective homeowners and extending room size. NHE CEO Gisbertus Mukulu made the announcement during the handover of 50 completed units at Omuthiya yesterday.
He said the new design plan, once finalised, would be used in the construction phases to follow.
Mukulu further said NHE will consider the option of rent-to-buy. As such, 38 houses will be availed in Windhoek’s Otjomuise location.
“These are some of the changes we are going to have in our housing system to offer our clients something different while maintaining the cost,” he said.
“We will make sure the houses still remain affordable between the usual ranges of N$300 000 to N$500 000. We as the NHE determine the prices; hence, the contractor has little much of influence on that – that should be good news.”
Furthermore, he said, NHE still has 50 more plots in Omuthiya, which will soon be developed inline with the new design.
Of the completed 50 housing units, 45 are already occupied.
He announced that next week the enterprise will be advertising housing tenders for areas such as Walvis Bay, Outapi, Karibib and Keetmanshoop.
“NHE is proceeding with the next phase of our project in a number of towns. Omuthiya is one of these towns because we still have another 50 available plots. As soon as our planning is done, we will start rolling out the next projects. Again, this is a reiteration of NHE’s desire to continue delivering on its mandate despite all odds. We strive to build houses that are of good quality, yet reasonably priced to fall within income brackets of our target market,” stated Mukulu.
New homeowner Maria Naukale Mashina could not hide her joy and excitement, explaining that staying under somebody’s roof was not an easy thing.
“We have been renting for many years. In the end, God has answered our prayers. We are very happy to have a roof over our heads – which is our very own home because nowadays, it is not easy to acquire a house. Thus, people need to have hope and exercise patience to attain their goal,” said Mashina.
Meanwhile, mayor of Omuthiya Katrina Uusiku said development is slowly but surely coming to Omuthiya, as the council tries its best to avail land and provide a conducive environment for investors and residents.
Urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga, who also officiated at the event, emphasised the importance of having housing and serviced land in a town, saying it is the only way a local authority can grow. “Having land and houses stimulates the growth of a town. This also helps council to generate more incomes to continue improving and providing services,” added Mushelenga.