Namibia's urban and rural development minister has warned that increasing defaults on Mass Housing Development Programme loans could undermine government efforts to expand affordable housing access. James Sankwasa highlighted that authorities have subsidized construction costs by up to 75 percent for many units, yet repayment rates remain disappointingly low.
The program has delivered 4,826 completed homes since launching in 2014, though 514 units await completion in Opuwo, Swakopmund, and Windhoek. Sankwasa made the remarks through ministerial adviser Boniface Mutumba during a handover ceremony at Otjomuise extension 10, where 377 houses built by the National Housing Enterprise were transferred to beneficiaries.
The minister stressed that loan repayments fund additional construction for other Namibians requiring decent shelter, particularly those in ultra-low and low-income brackets. He urged current and future homeowners to fulfill their contractual commitments, emphasizing that successful delivery depends on responsible participation from recipients alongside government subsidies and private sector involvement.
The program has delivered 4,826 completed homes since launching in 2014, though 514 units await completion in Opuwo, Swakopmund, and Windhoek. Sankwasa made the remarks through ministerial adviser Boniface Mutumba during a handover ceremony at Otjomuise extension 10, where 377 houses built by the National Housing Enterprise were transferred to beneficiaries.
The minister stressed that loan repayments fund additional construction for other Namibians requiring decent shelter, particularly those in ultra-low and low-income brackets. He urged current and future homeowners to fulfill their contractual commitments, emphasizing that successful delivery depends on responsible participation from recipients alongside government subsidies and private sector involvement.
