HPPII delivers about 6 000 serviced plots

State of the Nation
A total of 26 new townships were proclaimed in the past year.
Jo-Maré Duddy
A total of 3 103 new plots were fully serviced in various parts of the country last year, while an additional 4 791 plots are being serviced in partnership between government, the Shack Dwellers' Federation of Namibia and the private sector.
The total number of serviced plots during the period of the Harambee Prosperity Plan II (HPPII) there stands at 6 024, President Nangolo Mbumba said in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in parliament on Thursday.
Over the past year, government provided subsidies to local authorities and regional councils to the tune of N$297 million under the Mass Urban and Regional Land Servicing Programme. In total, 26 new townships were proclaimed.
A total of 2 073 housing units, constructed at a cost of $97 million were completed in partnership with stakeholders.
“Government remains steadfast to address the backlog of serviced urban land and affordable housing,” Mbumba said.

Policy
The new National Housing Policy and Implementation Strategy was approved by Cabinet in November 2023.
Government provided a grant of N$10 million to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) for land servicing and housing, as well as an additional grant of N$17 million towards the federation’s informal settlements upgrading programme.
Mbumba said government concluded a new agreement for 319 of the 505 uncompleted houses at Swakopmund, enabling resumption of work and completion of 200 houses by December 2023.
Through the community-led total sanitation programme, government also completed about 591 ventilated toilets for households in various rural areas, he added.