The Parliamentary Committee on Economics and Public Administration has recommended the establishment of a Ministry of Land Delivery and Housing Provision to tackle Namibia’s worsening housing crisis, which has left a backlog of 300,000 units.
According to the committee, the proposed ministry would streamline housing and land development efforts, currently managed under the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
It further called for collaboration with the National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises to ensure sustained budget allocations for housing projects over the next three years.
The committee’s report on public administration and service delivery stated: “Make proposals to the Cabinet to consider the establishment of a Ministry of Land Delivery and Housing Provision to streamline land and housing development efforts.”
The report emphasized the need for capital investment in urban land development and affordable housing, particularly for first-time homeowners and low-income citizens.
It also referenced Namibia’s National Housing Policy (2023), which outlines key initiatives such as the Participatory Informal Settlement Upgrading (PISU), aimed at servicing 150,000 plots, and the Sustainable Incremental Greenfield Development (SIGD) program, which targets 130,000 plots.
However, the committee expressed concern over rapid urbanisation, noting that the country’s urban population has surged from 28% in 1991 to 65.5% in 2023, leading to a sharp rise in informal settlements. “About two-thirds of the urban population resides in informal settlement areas. The urban-rural migration-urbanisation increased from 28% in 1991 to 48% in 2016 and 65.5% in 2023. This trend is resulting in a proliferation of informal settlements,” the report stated.
Despite ongoing interventions, the committee identified several obstacles that continue to impede progress in land and housing development. One of the key challenges is budget constraints, with insufficient funding allocated for land servicing projects.
The procurement process has also been flagged as a major bottleneck. “The challenges include an insufficient budget allocation to land servicing capital projects; prolonged procurement processes—on average, it takes four months to procure a consultant and another four months to procure a contractor,” the report noted.
The committee further highlighted non-compliance with procurement procedures at Regional Councils and Local Authorities, which has led to inefficiencies, including the awarding of projects to underqualified service providers.
The report stated: “The non-compliance with procedural procurement processes by Regional Councils and Local Authorities is resulting in significant delays and/or awarding incompetent service providers, including consultants and contractors.”
It also raised concerns over project delays, particularly within the Mass Housing Development Program (MHDP), where several projects have failed to meet completion deadlines.
Additionally, the committee pointed to a shortage of technical expertise within regional councils, local authorities, and key ministries, which has limited the effective execution of housing projects.
Another key issue highlighted in the report was the mismatch between housing supply and affordability, with many housing products remaining financially out of reach for low- and middle-income groups.
The committee’s recommendations are now awaiting Cabinet consideration, as the country seeks urgent solutions to its growing housing crisis.
