The government has allocated N$445 million toward the construction of 3,000 housing units across the country as part of its continued efforts to address the national housing deficit.
This was announced by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sankwasa James Sankwasa, during the tabling of the Ministry’s budget estimate for the 2025-2026 financial year.
According to the Minister, the housing units will be delivered through “a combination of initiatives and government-funded programmes such as the Mass Housing Development Programme and Build Together Programme, as well as grant support to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN)”.
Sankwasa highlighted the specific components of the Mass Housing Development Programme (MHDP), which includes 362 units in Otjomuise Extension 10 Phase 1 A, 24 in Opuwo, 186 in Swakopmund, and 400 units under the China Aided Social Housing Project, 200 in Grootfontein and 200 in Gobabis.
In addition, the Ministry has allocated N$50 million for the recapitalisation of the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), and funding has been earmarked for the construction of 250 basic shared ablution facilities in informal settlement areas.
“As one of the responses to the noted high debts of local authorities to NamWater for water supplied to councils and residents, the Ministry of Finance has kindly made available an amount of N$50 million to help identified local authorities and regional councils to acquire and install prepaid water meters,” he said.
Overall, the Ministry’s programme for Support to Urban and Regional Planning, Infrastructure and Housing Development has been allocated N$1,167,202,000 for the 2025/2026 financial year.
The Minister confirmed that this allocation comprises a substantial portion of the Ministry’s total development budget of N$1,112,769,000.
“The budget allocation to this Programme will be deployed to sustain and scale up our existing and new policy initiatives that are aimed at creating increased and inclusive access to and opportunities for land tenure security and decent housing,” the Minister said, emphasizing a focus on ultra-low income groups and residents of informal settlements.
Sankwasa also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to urban land and housing development, citing the Cabinet’s approval of the new Housing Policy and Implementation Action Plan in November 2023.
“The Policy and Action Plan emphasise and provide for increased State budgetary support as well as targeted yet integrated and coordinated interventions,” he noted.
The strategy, the Minister added “provides for support and interventions along the entire land and housing development process and value chain,” ranging from township planning and land servicing to the construction of affordable housing units.
The Ministry aims to service 10,000 erven annually, with 5,000 designated for the Khomas Region and 5,000 distributed among the remaining 13 regions, including 1,250 erven each in Walvis Bay, Oshakati, Keetmanshoop, and Rundu.
Reflecting on achievements from the previous financial year, the Minister reported the proclamation of 26 new townships and the servicing of 1,772 plots with basic infrastructure.
“A further 1,064 plots were partially serviced and/or in the process of being fully serviced in various areas of the country,” he added.
Additionally, six informal settlements were formalised or proclaimed as townships, expected to yield approximately 1,007 residential plots. A total of 957 housing units were constructed through various stakeholders and programmes during the same period.
This comes as the government’s revised National Housing Policy, approved in 2023, aims to increase funding and investment in land and housing for low-income groups, establishing a housing subsidy and provisions for various housing programmes.
The Policy targets local authorities to deliver at least 5,000 new houses and 6,500 residential plots annually.
Meanwhile, projects like the Windhoek Informal Settlement Upgrading Affordable Housing Project are underway, encouraging uniformed members to register with the Municipality and the National Housing Enterprise (NHE).
