NHE hands over new housesThe National Housing Enterprise says with the necessary support it is up to the task of relieving the urgent housing need. 284 Eenhana families get their own homes The National Housing Enterprise says with the necessary support it is up to the task of relieving the urgent housing need. The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) yesterday handed over 284 houses at Eenhana.The houses were built over two years and at a cost of N$112 million, which includes the land servicing cost that amounted to about N$24 million.
NHE board chairperson Sam Shivute said as long as they get the necessary support from the government the parastatal is able to deliver.
“Namibia continues to experience an acute shortage of affordable housing but be that as it may, at NHE and with the support that we are getting from our government and all stakeholders, we are committed to deliver on our mandate,” he said.
“All stakeholders have a critical role to play in ensuring the provision of affordable housing to people.”
Shivute urged private property developers to stop building houses with the aim of making as much profit as they can. He said they should strive for normalising and restoring the Namibian housing market to desirable levels for the benefit of the people.
The minister of urban and rural development, Sophia Shaningwa, said at the handover ceremony that the government remained committed to addressing the housing backlog.
“As a government of the people, we are concerned and determined to do everything possible and within our power to address the prevailing housing backlog and to scale up the production and availability of houses to meet the needs of our people, especially the low-income groups,” Shaningwa said.
The minister stressed the importance of contractors making sure they produce good quality houses.
“The government believes in value for money and will not tolerate poor workmanship. In this connection, I am calling on the NHE and contractors to ensure that the houses they are building are of good quality as well as to ensure that the financial resources that have been provided or paid to them are utilised effectively in order to achieve the desired outcomes,” she said.
Shaningwa urged the new homeowners to take care of the houses and keep up with their mortgage payments.
KENYA KAMBOWE