8920 on housing list

SWAKOPMUND, 12 AUG. –Swakopmund’s Mass Housing Development Programme waiting list currently stands at 8920 applicants, the housing backlog indicative of more than half of the residents still living in backyard shacks.

The Swakopmund Town Council insist that they have taken a decision during 2011 to service 500 erven each year in all areas of town in order to reduce the current housing backlog.

In this regard, the Municipality has managed to service a total of 8263 erven so far in spite of severe budgetary constraints, said Ms Aili Gebhardt, Corporate Officer: Marketing & Communication/ Corporate Services.
Both the Mass Housing Development Programme as well as the Build Together Programme are still in existence, she noted, and Council has supposedly allocated 120 erven to Build Together beneficiaries and 76 houses were allocated to qualifying beneficiaries under the Mass Housing Development Programme.

Regarding allegations that some names on the waiting list have been moved unfairly higher up the list, she explained that it is difficult to comment as the particulars of the case(s) have not been provided.

“We however always encourage applicants to visit our offices to seek more clarity regarding their applications. We are more willing to provide more information in this regard once the particulars of the complainant(s) have been provided,” says Gebhardt.
The Town’s Council could also not respond on a question regarding the ruined Mass Housing Development Programme houses, which are finished, but now left to the mercy of vandals, wind and weather.
“The MHDP is a government initiated project of which the implementation agent is the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) and more details regarding the status of the houses can therefore be obtained from the NHE,” it was stated.
According to the contractors on site, installation of services in the DRC informal settlement is 72% completed. This entails installation of bulk services i.e. Sewerage, water and electricity.-Marshallino Beukes