Zambia in facing a big housing shortfall

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Government of Zambia says the housing shortfall in the country stands at about 1.3 million.

Local government and Housing Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga says this is according to the 2010 census report.

Mr. Malupenga says initiatives to reduce the housing shortfall in the country should therefore be supported.

He says government is committed to creating an enabling environment for financial institutions to operate as they complement government’s efforts to reducing the current housing deficit.

Mr. Malupenga says organisations such as the Habitat for humanity have contributed largely to the effort and has constructed over 3 thousand and 5 hundred houses and will construct 1 thousand 7 hundred 50 houses by 2018.

He was speaking through a speech read on his behalf by Director Housing and Infrastructure Development in the Ministry of Local government and Housing Nkombo Siame during a habitat for humanity Zambia Banker’s build in Linda Township where two houses are b

Meanwhile, Habitat for humanity Zambia Chairperson Douglas Katengo says decent housing is important for the country’s development.

Mr. Katengo says his organization will continue to support government’s efforts to provide decent housing across the country.

Recently, Zambia National Building Society proposed to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing on prospects of financing construction of houses in newly-created districts in an effort to address the shortage of houses in the country which is having a housing deficit of about two million.

In a recent interview , Zambia National Building Society public relations officer Mubanga Chanda said the society has come up with a financing structure that will cut on the cost of housing construction in the country.

“Councils are providing land and ZNBS is providing finance but we have also partnered with utility companies [water and sewerage, electricity] to service the areas before construction starts. Thereafter, we will engage developers, who will come up with various designs for people to choose from,” he said.