By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, April 5 — MTC and DWN’s Land and Housing Programme are making significant strides towards delivering affordable land for housing. Recently, the program delivered 282 serviced plots in Stampriet, !Karas region, which is the newest town to benefit under the MTC/DWN Land Delivery Project. Stampriet follows Oniipa Town Council, which benefited from 113 plots handed over to its residents last year.
Plans are currently in progress to extend the project to Okakarara and Otjiwarongo, Omaruru, Ondangwa, Okongo, Rehoboth, and Rundu. Okakarara and Otjiwarongo have already earmarked over 707 and 483 plots, respectively, for the ultra-low-income earners market, and consultations between DWN, local authorities, and residents are ongoing.
MTC’s Chief Human Capital, Corporate Affairs, and Marketing Officer, Tim Ekandjo, stressed that the success of the land and housing project required smart collaboration and deliberate intervention. MTC has availed N$1 million yearly to enable the program to expand to other towns such as Lüderitz, Swakopmund, Omaruru, Ondangwa, Okongo, Rehoboth, and Rundu.
“The effort is to curtail and redress the increase of shanty settlements while contributing to creating a land ownership economy. Initially, the program planned to deliver 1585 plots, but that number has now been increased to 1941,” added Ekandjo.
Launched in 2021, MTC Land Delivery Program through DWN is a three-year program aimed at addressing the issue of landlessness in selected towns by availing and delivering affordable land to low-income earners. The program is designed to allow individuals to acquire at least a 300 square meter piece of land at a reasonable price as low as N$15,000, pay it off over a 12-month period, own the title deed to the land, and with that certificate, gain access to financing for the construction of their homes.
As Namibia’s population continues to grow, more residents demand housing, and the government is re-doubling its efforts to provide access to housing for all citizens. However, joint efforts are necessary, as the government alone cannot remedy the land and housing issue. – Namibia Daily News
