Erongo's growing pains

As a critical economic hub, the Erongo Region is faced with massive and rapid urbanisation as people flock to the coast searching for job opportunities and improved livelihoods."These migrations impact heavily on the limited resources local authorities have to provide adequate housing, which results in the establishment of informal settlements. It is against this background that we face a massive housing backlog," Erongo governor Neville Andre said at a land and housing strategic seminar in Walvis Bay recently."However, I am pleased to note that there are currently some local authorities in the region that are addressing these housing backlogs," Andre added.He said in Swakopmund various models to accommodate the low to ultra-low housing segments have been implemented, suh as the 40-40 housing concept for low-income groups and the the build-together programme.In addition, private, non-profit organisations such as the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia are helping to address the backlog.Urban growthThe governor warned that "over the coming decades, urban areas are set to change dramatically. More people will live in cities and will require more houses and services, public transport, jobs, and places of recreation and learning – all of which take up space and need land."He said this is evident in other towns in the region, which are formalising informal settlements such as Karibib, where some other models are used to reduce the costs of servicing the land, which ultimately affects housing prices."Two years ago, whilst battling Covid-19, as the epicentre, we witnessed one of the largest fires, where 153 families who stayed in shacks lost their belongings, and sadly, we lost a toddler. However, the Namibian government declared the site a national emergency and soon initiated the decongestion of informal settlements and backyard shacks."PartnershipsAndre said 122 houses were constructed for the fire victims."Today, from living in shacks, they own a place they can call home, at a cost of only N$40 000. The house consists of one bedroom, a toilet, shower, and kitchen and is built on a 300-square metre erf, giving the owner more room to expand in the future. That is the commitment the Namibian government has in terms of housing provisions."Andre said in the Erongo Region has also seen valuable partnerships arise to address the issue of providing houses to families in need.These include the Buy-a-Brick initiative from Standard Bank Namibia and the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, which constructed an additional 28 houses for the fire victims.nikanor@erongo.com.na

Erongo's growing pains

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-11

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Erongo's growing pains

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-11

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