National Housing Challenges and the Need for Increased Funding
A recent report by the National Council standing committee on transport, infrastructure, and housing has highlighted the urgent need for increased government funding to address Namibia’s significant housing backlog. The report estimates that the country requires N$3 billion to resolve the issue, which currently stands at between 300,000 and 700,000 housing units.
The National Housing Enterprise, established in 1991, has constructed approximately 14,884 houses nationwide through its own projects and the Mass Housing Development Programme. Despite these efforts, the scale of the housing deficit remains a pressing concern. According to the National Housing Policy (Second Revision, 2023), this policy serves as the primary framework guiding all stakeholders in the housing sector. It outlines strategies and objectives aimed at addressing the backlog effectively.
The report was presented last week in the National Council by committee chairperson Alfeus Abraham. He emphasized the need for increased funding allocations to local authorities and regional councils to meet national housing demand and reduce the existing backlog. “The current allocation of N$1 billion is insufficient compared to the estimated requirement of N$3 billion,” said Abraham.
Oversight of Housing Policies
The committee conducted oversight on a motion tabled in 2023 regarding the urban poor and landless citizens in several regions, including Erongo, Kunene, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West, and Zambezi. This oversight took place from 6 to 23 August 2024. The motion sought to investigate how well housing policies and programs of local authorities promote affordable land delivery in Namibia.
Abraham noted that 25 local authorities and seven regional councils attended the consultations. However, one local authority, the Karibib Town Council, and one regional council, the Oshana Regional Council, were absent. A total of 155 participants attended the oversight meetings.
Legal and Regulatory Reforms
According to the committee’s findings, there is an urgent need to reform the existing legal and regulatory frameworks to address identified challenges, particularly by revising the compensation policy for communal land and amending both the Local Authorities Act and the Regional Councils Act.
To make serviced land more affordable, Abraham suggested exploring alternative financing mechanisms and considering state-supported services for land servicing. “This will reduce local authorities’ dependency on land sales as a revenue source and improve access to land for low-income earners,” he said.
Progress and Remaining Obstacles
The report found that most local authorities have adopted plans and programs aimed at ensuring that all Namibians have access to quality, affordable, and dignified housing, regardless of their income level or employment status. This is achieved through initiatives that empower households by creating job and business opportunities, alongside the diversification of land and housing delivery mechanisms.
However, high costs of land and insufficient funding for land servicing remain critical obstacles. Local authorities also cite the lengthy and cumbersome town planning process and the minimum erf size restriction of 300 square metres as additional barriers.
Financial Gaps and Challenges
The report highlights that the challenge in meeting land servicing targets arises when localities must develop new townships. For instance, a township may require N$100 million to service, while the government provides only N$8 million, leaving a substantial funding gap that the local authority must bridge.