Swakopmund housing list close to 9 000 mark

Close to 9 000 Swakopmund residents are in need of a home – and more applications are handed in on a daily basis. These figures were revealed during the recent Town Council meeting, where it was decided that the registration process will continue.
The registration process by the Swakopmund municipality was initiated in 2013. It was the intention to provide the municipality with a better understanding of the housing needs in Swakopmund. All the various housing lists, including the DRC Residents, Build Together Programme, Mondesa Backyard Squatters and residents who are renting elsewhere, were combined into the Master Waiting List. It currently stands at 8 920.
“Regardless of these efforts the Community Development Services Department receives daily requests from residents who are not on the Master Waiting List and who also wish to apply for housing,” it states in the Agenda. This scenario is a “clear indication” that the need for housing is “increasing at a fast rate” due to population growth and the impact of rural-urban migration.
During the handover of some of the houses constructed under the Mass Housing Development Programme last year, the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Sophia Shaningwa, emphasized the need to create a data base of potential housing clients. She said that such a data base will guide and assist government and local authorities in planning and allocating resources for land servicing and the construction of new homes.
During the recent Town Council meeting it was decided to continue the registration process of residents in need of houses. They must meet the following criteria though: proof of Namibian citizenship or permanent residence; over the age of 18 and not the owner of any property; not a beneficiary of a government housing subsidy; not married to a person who is a beneficiary of a government housing subsidy, a letter of transfer of employment; and a voter’s card.