The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has unveiled ten new housing designs aimed at making homes more accessible to Namibians across various income levels.
The initiative introduces modern, affordable units priced between N$128,000 and N$759,000, catering to ultra-low-, low-, and middle-income earners.
According to Oshoveli Hiveluah, Head of the Technical Team at NHE, the new housing range was developed to modernise NHE’s offering and respond to the country’s growing housing demand.
“The new range of houses is primarily aimed at modernising NHE’s offering and appealing to today’s clientele. As a result, ten designs were created, catering to the ultra-low, low-, and middle-income groups. These designs were developed to reflect Namibia’s diverse cultures and the varied environments in which the houses will be built,” Hiveluah said.
He explained that the ultra-low-income units are priced between N$128,000 and N$238,000, low-income homes range from N$264,000 to N$378,000, while middle-income houses are priced between N$488,000 and N$759,000.
Hiveluah added that the designs are not only aesthetically modern but also incorporate energy-efficient features, which improve affordability by up to 20%.
He said the new homes also support incremental development, enabling homeowners to expand their properties as their financial circumstances improve.
“From my experience, having completed numerous projects in other towns, we have observed an affordability bracket of just below N$350,000, and that’s somewhat consistent across various regions,” he said.
He emphasised that the NHE will continue to focus on the low- to middle-income segments, which remain underserved by private developers, as part of its efforts to close Namibia’s housing affordability gap.
Hiveluah said the new designs were developed through a collaborative process involving the private sector and academia to ensure they address current market realities and sustainability goals.
He noted that the designs were selected through a student design competition, in which young designers presented innovative concepts reflecting Namibia’s diverse cultural and environmental contexts.
An adjudication panel, which included industry expert Una Ferreira, evaluated the submissions before final approval by NHE’s management and board.
Hiveluah said the initiative forms part of NHE’s Integrated Strategic Business Plan (2024/2025–2028/2029), aimed at strengthening the enterprise’s position as Namibia’s leading provider of affordable housing.
