Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Peter Vilho last week stated that the Veteran’s Housing Programme is on hold until 2022/2023 due to a lack of funds to continue with housing delivery.
“Due to budgetary constraints which led to the non-allocation of funds to the project for the budget years 2020/2021 to 2022/2023 in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period, the programme is on hold until funds are available,” Vilho explained in Parliament.
The veteran’s affairs minister also stated that since the inception of the Veterans Housing Programme, his office has facilitated the constructed of 294 houses countrywide for the benefit of veterans of Namibia’s liberation struggle.
According to Vilho, the completed houses are distributed across all 14 regions with 12 in Erongo, 22 in Hardap, 17 in //Karas, 12 in Kavango East, 15 in Kavango West, 17 in Khomas, 9 in both Kunene and Otjozondjupa, 44 in Ohangwena, 14 in Omaheke, 13 in Oshana, 47 in Oshikoto, 45 in Omusati and 18 in Zambezi.
“So far, the ministry has received 203 applications for the programme, which are yet to be assessed to come up with a waiting list for those who meet the criteria,” he noted.
Vilho said, in the meantime, the ministry is also exploring the possibility of inter-ministerial collaboration with the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to cater to some veterans that would benefit from their different housing initiatives.
All houses constructed under this program are fully donated to the beneficiaries and are inherited by the relatives of the veterans upon their demise.
He stressed there is no veteran who qualifies for the Veteran Housing Programme and received the house on a lease basis. – mndjavera@nepc.com.na