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Shack dwellers praised for housing delivery

Home Front Page News Shack dwellers praised for housing delivery

Malakia Nashongo

OSHAKATI – The Shack Dwellers Federation, which has so far constructed over 5 000 houses countrywide since its inception, has set a target to build 700 homes in the 2019/2020 financial year. 

This was revealed by the co-director of Namibia Housing Action Group, Heinrich Amushila, who briefed Oshana governor Elia Irimari as well as local and regional authority councillors in the region on the progress made by the federation in addressing the housing issue. 

Since the introduction of the Shack Dwellers Federation in Oshana Region in 1993, the federation has so far constructed a total of 393 houses in Ondangwa, Oshakati and Ongwediva.  

“It is very hard for a low-income person to qualify for housing bank loans and [such a person] cannot access commercial housing,” explained Amushila. 

He added that the federation was established to assist those earning as low as N$4 000 a month to at least have a chance of owning a decent place to call home in an urban area. The houses are being constructed to the value of less than N$40 000  each. 

According to Amushila, 122 houses are under construction in Oshakati to the tune of N$3.6 million, while in Ondangwa 12 houses are being constructed. 

He added that 300 plots have been allocated to the federation at Onawa by the Oshakati town council, while the Ondangwa local authority has availed 59 plots at the town for the federation. 

On his part, Irimari praised the federation for coming up with the initiative to address the housing problem.  “Most of our people are unable to get access to proper houses, thus it is important to address the housing need in our region,” said Irimari, who also thanked the three towns for meeting the federation halfway.  

“I feel good we are born in Oshakati but land is expensive thus this is a cheap way to get land as I only get my income from a restaurant in Oneshila,” said one of the beneficiaries Monika Manzila, who added that she has been renting for the past 16 years, but now has a place to call home.