Over 400 Mass Housing units ready
The Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Derek Klazen, says about 446 houses are ready to be handed over to Mass Housing beneficiaries in various regions.
Klazen made this announcement in the National Assembly last week, saying the 446 forms part of 1 468 houses that have been completed.
Of this amount, 221 have already been handed over and 797 are yet to be fully connected to municipal services.
The Mass Housing programme is being implemented in two phases - phase one is being implemented over two financial years from 2014/2015 to 2015/2016, ending March 31, 2016.
Klazen said 9 306 were supposed to be constructed under the first phase. Only 1 468 have, however, so far been constructed, and another 7 838 are yet to be constructed.
The deputy minister was responding to questions directed to his ministry by the DTA Member of Parliament, Elma Dienda on April 8, 2015.
“The 797 houses that have thus far been constructed but are still in the process of being connected to bulk municipal systems are in Swakopmund, Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, Mariental, Rehoboth, Oshikuku, Katima Mulilo and Khorixas,” he said.
The main constraints affecting the project are financial and technical capacity on the part of local authorities, he indicated.
Meanwhile, Klazen explained that the local authorities are in possession of names of people and the beneficiaries will be selected from these names.
“The list of beneficiaries for the social housing are compiled by local authorities to whom residents who are in need of housing, but are unable to secure such houses through the conventional market system, apply,” he said.
He added that the ministry has directed the local authorities to ensure fairness in the selection and allocation process. Moreover, the deputy minister said the multi-million dollar project that has been put on hold since May 27 will continue when the ministry has managed to iron out some issues. He said the ministry issued a directive to the Namibia Housing Enterprise (NHE) to halt any further construction of houses under the Mass Housing Project until further notice.
Klazen indicated that the ministry wants to ensure that the beneficiaries are happy with the houses they receive.
WINDHOEK NAMPA
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