BHC Youth Housing Scheme Could Go Countrywide
Pini Bothoko | Monday March 16, 2020 16:34
The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mmusi Kgafela revealed the plans when addressing Parliament in a response to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) for Selebi-Phikwe West, Dithapelo Keorapetse.
Keorapetse had wanted to know if BHC is delivering on its mandate. Dithapelo also wanted to know the year BHC was set up, the number of housing units the Corporation has built since inception and the location of those houses.
He had also asked of the number of houses that were bought or are rented by individual Batswana or companies and how many youths have bought or are renting the houses.
Kgafela said in 2015, the Corporation took a deliberate decision to build high-rise units, a flagship project dubbed Tsholofelo Housing Project borne out of the need to cater for low- income groups across the country.
“I am happy to report that notably, 75% of the prospective buyers are under the age of 35. The scheme mainly targeted the youth and individual Batswana earning between P7,000 and P14,000 a month,” Kgafela said.
The Minister said since its establishment in 1971, BHC has delivered 26,114 houses throughout the country and since the designation of Single Housing Authority (SiHA), 4,919 turnkey units and 407 Self-Help Housing Authority (SHHA) for public officers units have been delivered at various places.
Kgafela further said a total of 465 Public Officers Housing Initiative (POHI) have also been delivered. “To date a total of 16,439 houses have been sold and 9, 675 rented out. In the past there were no deliberate efforts by BHC to prioritise the sale or tenancy of its houses to the youth but to Batswana in general. It is worth mentioning that to date BHC has only sold houses to individual Batswana, Batswana owned companies, parastatals and government ministries and departments,” Kgafela said.
Still on the matter, Kgafela said on April 1, 2012 the Corporation’s mandate was expanded in accordance with Presidential Directive Cab 20 (B)/2010. He revealed that the directive pronounced that implementation of government housing programmes be transferred to BHC to operate as government’s SiHA.
In compliance with the directive, Kgafela said the Corporation has undertaken construction of turnkey SHHA projects, POHI and installment purchase scheme and youth housing. In addition Kgafela said BHC also outsources its construction activities to the private sector.
“It must be noted that BHC does not get a subvention from the national budget but raises capital from the private market for its projects other than the SHHA programme. The Corporation is also confronted with shortage of serviced land, which is critical in driving its primary mandate of provision of affordable housing,” Kgafela said.
The Minister added that BHC operates in an environment of high construction costs occasioned by general inadequacy of requisite services. He explained that the provision of housing requires the cooperation of various stakeholders such as those dealing with land, water, electricity, financing and planning amongst others. However, Kgafela said government continues to review the whole spectrum of housing provision to improve access to housing for Batswana.