Justicia Shipena
Urban and Rural Development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa says government houses built on government-owned land should not be called expensive.
He made the remark at the handover of 52 houses in Okakarara on Thursday under the National Housing Enterprise’s (NHE) national housing programme.
The programme aims to deliver 10,000 housing units annually for the next five years as part of efforts to formalise informal settlements.
“There is therefore no reason for anyone to say houses built by the government, on government land, are not affordable because the land is expensive,” he said.
Sankwasa urged local authorities to lower the cost of land and tailor construction models to the income levels of the intended beneficiaries.
“I call for more collaborations with every local authority to make land available so that housing deliveries can be massive in terms of quantity, quality and speed,” he said.
He stressed that housing affordability depends on how land is managed.
He said the shortage of housing in Namibia is a national emergency. At present, Namibia has a housing backlog estimated at 300 000 units.
“Time is therefore of great importance for this critical government undertaking,” Sankwasa said, urging the NHE, local authorities, and partners to accelerate housing delivery.
NHE deputy chairperson of the board, Hastings Tjipueja, said the 52 houses were completed in eight months with an investment of N$12.2 million.
He said the project created jobs for 80 local workers.
He said between 2020 and 2021, a total of 40 houses were delivered in Okakarara, bringing the total to 92.
“These houses are not just structures of brick and mortar but a representation of security, a foundation upon which families in Okakarara will build their future generations,” Tjipueja said.
He noted that NHE had already delivered 185 houses in the 2025/26 financial year and was targeting 905 by year-end, in addition to 2 000 units planned under the National Informal Settlement Upgrading project.
Okakarara Town Council chief executive officer Ernst Katjiku said the council welcomed the collaboration with NHE and would continue to make land available to meet residents’ housing needs.
“These houses reflect the positive results of working together for our community. We remain ready to support future projects to ensure more families in Okakarara have decent homes,” Katjiku said.
