SWAKOPMUND - The Swakopmund municipality, in an effort to remedy the housing shortage at the coastal resort town, has unveiled a housing initiative that will see the construction of 1590 low-cost as well as debt-financed houses at the town. 

The project, dubbed the 40/40 housing initiative, was launched behind the Democratic Informal Resettlement Community (DRC) and Matatura at the town and caters for low to ultra-low-income earners. 

Launching the project yesterday, Swakopmund mayor Paulina Nashilundo said council last year availed land to 39 small contractors to construct 1590 social and credit-linked houses at the town to help address the housing shortage.

She said each of the contractors will construct 40 houses of which 26 will be credit-linked for those that can be assisted by financial institutions. The rest of the houses will be financed by council in a process that will see buyers paying their instalments directly to the municipality of Swakopmund.

Nashilundo said council has already serviced 2948 single residential erven for N$233 million to accommodate the housing initiative.

“The houses will be allocated according to council’s waiting list.  We so far have 13 477 applicants, of which only 800 have so far been assisted. Hence this project is very important to us, as it addresses the housing needs of our low-income earners at the town,” she further explained.

Also speaking at the same ceremony, chairperson of the management committee of the Erongo Regional Council Hafeni Ndemula said housing initiatives such as this dignifies the lives of residents.  He then congratulated the Swakopmund municipal council for its latest effort, which he says speaks to both the housing needs and job creation.

Cautioning contractors for the project, Ndemula said: “We should be mindful that affordability should not be a compromise on the quality of the houses.  

“They should be of quality and compliant with international standards. Hence, give due diligence to the specifications of the houses.”