Local authorities urged to sell land cheaply

Urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni has urged local authorities to sell land cheaply to the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) to enable it to adequately respond to Namibia’s housing crisis.

“As the ministry responsible for the provision of housing, we are supportive of every initiative that delivers houses that our people can afford, especially those within the low to ultra-low income bracket. We are aware of the realities such as the increasing cost of constructing houses due to material, transportation and other related costs,” Uutoni said.

A reduction in land prices would help drive down input costs, and ensure the NHE is able to deliver houses, he said.

“These factors that are beyond our control have made it quite challenging to maintain the selling prices of houses at the lowest we wish to keep them. It is for this reason that I continue pleading with local authorities to offer land to the NHE at the lowest prices possible, so that there is a bit of a reduction in the input cost, and subsequently a better selling price.”