National Housing and Construction Company Ltd

Background of NHCC
National Housing and Construction Company Ltd (NHCC) is a Ugandan public enterprise that was established by the National Housing Corporation Act of 1964.

The Act was later repealed by the 1974 Decree to form National Housing & Construction Corporation.

In July 2002, the Corporation became a Public Limited Liability Company known as National housing & Construction Company Limited.

The Company’s mandate is to increase the housing stock in the country, rehabilitate the housing industry and encourage Ugandans to own homes in well planned environments.

In 2009 the company rebranded and was given a new brand name known as National Housing with a new logo created.

NHCC Vision
“To transform Peoples’ lives and communities by providing affordable and well-built housing”

NHCC Mission
“To create the reality of home ownership in well-planned and permanent built environments.”

Company slogan
“Happy Homes, Built to Last”

NHCC Objectives
NHCC’s core objectives are to boost home ownership, become the preferred housing provider, increase the return on assets/capital, develop a cadre of competitive housing professionals, influence public policy on housing and boost the construction industry in the country.

Performance Record

1964-1970
From 1964 to the early 70’s the company built over 2,384 units of various types in different locations as follows:

a) Kampala
Executive flats, maisonettes and bungalows in top class residential areas of Bugologi (872), Bukoto White (130), Bukoto Brown (180), Kololo (80), Nakasero (44), Wandegeya inter alia (136). Middle to low housing estates were built in Kiwafu (51) and Doctors village Mulago (20).

b) Upcountry
NHCC built several upcountry housing projects in the following towns: Arua, Entebbe, Gulu, Hoima, Kabale, Jinja, Lira, Masaka, Mbale, Mbarara, Moyo, Soroti and Tororo.

c) Infrastructure development
The company has also built several office blocks, which include: Crested Towers, Uganda Posts and Telecommunications building, Tororo Town Council and District Administration Headquarters building. Other contributions extended to the construction of social and public infrastructure includes school like St. Henry’s College Kitovu, hospitals like Mengo and Adjumani, Nakasongola Airbase and Entebbe International Airport.

1970- 1989
From the 70’s to 1989 NHCC was dormant and did not carry out any significant development due to the political turmoil the country was going through.

1989-2005
In 1989, NHCC aggressively embarked on increasing the housing stock in the country as well as rehabilitation of various properties, which were run down during the various wars in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The growth that has taken place in the last 18 years is unprecedented and is attributed to the Movement government, which among other things has continuously provided a conducive environment for real estate development.

Currently, the Company had completed and sold housing units in the following projects:
•    Mpumude Housing Estate    –    20 affordable units
•    Bukoto Housing Estate        –    110 houses ( 50 maisonettes, 35 bungalows and 25 shell houses)
•    Ntinda Housing estate        –     79 houses ( 25 bungalows and 54 shell houses)
•    Lubowa 108 Housing project    –     86 shell houses in Lubowa
•    Naalya Housing project        –     610 houses ( 340 low cost housing units, 55 exclusive shell houses, 215 pride shellhouses )
•    Mbuya Housing Estate        –    8 executive flats
•    Namungoona Housing Estate 1    –    144 low cost  condominium flats
•    Naklasero Housing Esate        –    44 Flats
•    Kololo Housing Estate        –    80 Affordable flats
•    Lubowa Regina 1            –    37 executive Bungalows & single storied houses
•    Wandegeya Housing Estate    –    136 condominium flats
•    Kyambogo Estate            –    8 executive Bungalows
•    Sunderland – Mbuya Apts        –    6 Apartments
•    Sunset Apartments – Kiwatule     –    268 Condominium flats

Ongoing and future activities 2012
The company is active on four sites currently namely Lubowa Regina II (22), Namungoona IV (285), Bugoloobi Prefab (112) and Naalya Pride (220).
The planned projects include, Luthuli Rise Apartments (40), Kiwana Apartments (32), Lubowa 80 Estate (920), Mbarara Housing Estate (120), Mututndwe mixed Estate (100) and Bukerere Mixed Estate (2,000)

Other Activities

1. NHCC participated in preparation of the Condominium property bill, which was passed by Parliament in 2001. Under the Condominium Property Act 2001, NHCC has offered over 1000 of the condominium flats in Kololo, Nakasero, Mbuya and Bugolobi.
2. The Modernization of Crested Towers Building was a major accomplishment within these past 7 years. The magnificent building offers 30 floors of office space, auxiliary blocks for retail outlets and ample parking space. The property enjoys 100% occupancy.
3. In preparation for the renovation of Crested Towers, the Company constructed and relocated to its new head office at plot 5, 7th Street Industrial area.
4. The company joined the contracting market in a bid to expand services to districts beyond Kampala. The company has constructed numerous projects within the last 2 years including:

• Wakiso District Planning Unit
• Wakiso Directorate of Health Services Block and Council Chambers
• Laboratory and Library at Busuubizi Secondary School
• Laboratory and Library at Ibanda Teachers Training  School
• Laboratory and Library at Kibuli Demonstration School
• Office Block extension at Kajjansi
• Mbarara University Laboratories and Lecture rooms
• Renovation of various buildings at Kampiringisa Children Rehabilitation Centre Challenges
• Mortgage financing is not well developed in Uganda. This has tended to tie up capital in projects and slow down construction activities. Also the increases in the interest rates for mortgages affect the demand of our houses.
• Inflation which leads to the increase of the cost of building materials. This results into high prices of our houses and affects sales and revenue of the company because not many people can afford such houses.
• Service providers for public utilities including UEDCL, NWSC and local authorities have not readily provided electricity, water and sewage connections or roads to our estates. This increases the financial burden to the company and raises the selling price of the units
• The slow processing of Condominium titles has affected the projected sales and in turn the Company cash flow.
• Government indebtedness to NHCC is currently in the region of Ushs 8 Billion. This has hampered the implementation of Company programs.
• Lack of mechanized construction technology for efficient and speedy delivery of units.

Associations

• NHCCL is currently into association with banking institutions for mortgage facilitation for its customers like Stanbic Bank, Housing Finance Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and many others.
• National Housing also partners with a variety of companies in the construction fraternity