The Shack Dwellers Federation in Namibia says it built 350 low-cost houses in 2023, bringing its total to 7,700 houses over the past 20 years.
The houses were constructed at a total cost of N$15 million, making the average cost of each house N$44,100. The total cost estimate for the 7,700 houses built over two decades amounts to a substantial N$280 million.
According to Namibia Housing Action Group Co-director Heinrich Amushila, despite the remarkable achievements, the organisation faces ongoing challenges, including the escalating costs of building materials, which directly affect the affordability of houses.
“The distance from the nearest building materials supplier, fuel prices as well as the long wait for the allocation of land impacts the affordability of houses by the members, mostly in the major towns such as Windhoek and Walvis Bay,” he said.
He added that the Federation has been grappling with lack of funding to meet the ever-growing demand for housing, making the goal of constructing an additional 1,000 houses in the coming year contingent on the availability of funds.
He further explained that the Federation actively engages in community-driven informal settlement upgrading across various local authorities, including Gobabis, Karibib, Windhoek, Usakos, Omaruru, Okahandja, Maltahohe, Lüderitz, Mariental, Otjiwarongo, Sesfontein, Okanguati, Outjo, Otavi, Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Rundu, Helao Nafidi, and Okakarara.
The initiative aims to provide secure land tenure to inhabitants of informal settlements, fostering a sense of stability and security within these communities.
The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia is a community-based network of housing saving schemes, aiming to improve the living conditions of urban and rural poor.
According to Namibia’s Revised National Housing Policy and its Implementation Action Plan, in the case of the low scenario, a total need of 265,609 units would be required by the year 2030; for the medium scenario the total would be 288,620 units, and for the high scenario 311,766 units would be required.
The Association of Local Authorities in Namibia notes that the country urgently needs approximately 50,000 housing units to be constructed nationwide in the next 10 years to address the housing crisis.
