The government has allocated N$297 million in subsidies to local authorities and regional councils for the Mass Urban and Regional Land Servicing Programme in the 2023/24 financial year.
The programme was launched in 2015 and aimed at servicing 200,000 plots nationwide. Namibia has an estimated housing backlog of 300,000.
“Government remains steadfast to address the backlog of serviced urban land and affordable housing. To this end, 26 new townships have been proclaimed, of which 3,103 new plots were fully serviced in various parts of the country, bringing the total number of serviced plots during the second Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP II) period, to 6,024,” President Nangolo Mbumba said during his State of the Nation Address.
He highlighted that under the HPP II, an additional 4,791 partially serviced plots are being serviced in partnership between the Government, Shack Dwellers Federation and the private sector.
The President said 2,073 housing units, constructed at a cost of N$97 million have been completed in partnership with stakeholders.
Cabinet approved the new National Housing Policy and Implementation Strategy in November 2023.
The National Housing Policy and Implementation Strategy focuses on the nationwide upgrading of informal settlements and proactive incremental land servicing.
Furthermore, the government provided a grant of N$10 million to the Shack Dwellers Federation for land servicing and housing, including an additional grant of N$17 million towards the Federation’s informal settlements upgrading programme.
In terms of the mass housing, which was discontinued in 2015, the government has concluded a new agreement for 319 of the 505 uncompleted houses at Swakopmund, enabling the resumption of work and with the completion of 200 houses expected by December 2023.
Mass Housing, was a project initiated by former President Hifikepunye Pohamba, in 2013 intending to construct 185,000 affordable houses by 2030. However, only 4,240 were successfully constructed.
