Gov�t conducts housing demand survey
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday November 21, 2017 16:24
According to the ministry’s principal public relations officer Malepa Dibonwa, the study, which is expected to guide the National Housing Strategy, aims to provide a basis for evidence based planning and policy making.
“The assessment will guide policy makers on the type of housing needed, the impact of housing initiatives, identify gaps in housing and make projections on future housing needs. The study will ensure appropriate goals, strategies and priorities are developed,” he said.
Dibonwa said the study, which was expected to be complete in April this year, has not been completed and the ministry would avail the information after the completion of the project.
“However, government have continued to recognise adequate and affordable housing as a basic need in the context of our implementation of the National Housing Policy’s Low-Income Housing Programme.
“This programme contains three components, which includes; Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA) Home Improvement, Turnkey Development Scheme and Integrated Poverty Alleviation & Housing Scheme,” he said.
In addition the government has rolled out housing schemes such as Public Officers Housing Initiatives, Housing Scheme for Public Officers D4 and below, BHC housing and Third Party Projects, Installment Purchase Scheme (IPS) and Youth Housing Scheme.
Presenting the 2017 State of Nation Address recently, President Ian Khama said that between March 2008 and March 2017, a total of P190.8 million has been disbursed through the SHHA Home Improvement Loan Scheme to fund 4,947 beneficiaries.
He said this financial year, 2017/18, an additional P30 million would be loaned to an estimated 500 beneficiaries. With ESP support, the SHHA Turnkey Development Scheme has awarded contracts for the construction of 2,615 units.
Of these, 1,838 have been completed and handed over and 777 are at various stages of construction.
Integrated Poverty Alleviation & Housing Scheme currently has a total of 19 commercial brick moulding projects nationwide and four additional projects have since been designated.
According to the President, the Public Officers Housing Initiative has awarded 465 units with 258 units already completed and 207 housing units are at various stages of construction. In addition he said under the Housing Scheme for Public Officers D4 and below programme, which commenced in August 2016, only 203 units have been started on site with 63 completed and handed over.
Government also has introduced the IPS to promote home ownership amongst citizens who are renting BHC houses. So far 372 out of 750 IPS and Youth Housing units have been awarded to citizen contractors.