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Background
Involves:
* low-income households with incomes that do not exceed N$1250.00 (US$380)
* low-income households in squatter areas
* low-middle income households without credit access
Project covers both rural and urban areas reaching an average of 1300 families per year.
Central principle to give people control and access to national housing infra-structure
and finance.
Narrative
Namibia's 1.4 million people gained independence in March 1990, physically segregated
urban human settlements were inherited from the apartheid regime, under which the majority
of low-income groups could not afford low-cost housing under turnkey projects costing
N$35000.00 (about US$10000.00). Communities were suffering from inertia and lacked any
trust in themselves. Women had no access to gain shelter.
The Namibian Government made housing one of the four top development priorities to bring
about integrated development. The Cabinet approved a National Housing Policy in July 1991
which encouraged partnerships between the public, private and community sectors in housing
development.
With the assistance of UNDP and UNCHS, Namibia has developed a National Shelter Strategy
based on the full participation of the stakeholders (the communities, the private sector,
financial institutions such as banks, local authorities and interested individuals). This
has resulted in government becoming a facilitator of housing, withdrawing from direct from
direct constuction and involving beneficiaries to build their own houses. The role of the
Namibian Government is limited to small loans, technical advice, roofsheet grants through
bilateral Japanese aid.
Namibia has made housing affordable to many and has instilled trust in people to help
themselves. Women's access to shelter has been improved and 47% of BT beneficiaries are
female-headed households. Women have been empowered by the BT Programme in terms of access
to shelter, land, finance and are involved in organising CHDG's (local committees),
producing building materials and maintain a high level of loan repayment. In order to
sustain the programme in the long run through Regional Funds, the Namibian Government is
preparing a New Housing Bill. The BT Programme was awarded the Habitat Scroll of Honour in
1993 and World Habitat Award in 1994.
STAKEHOLDERS
In terms of the 1991 cencus, 27% of the urbanised population of Namibia live in local
authority areas. Local Authorities consist of Village and Town Councils, Municipalities
and the City Council of the capital Windhoek. They are the driving force behind the Build
Together National Housing Programme through local implementation committees, called
Community Housing Development Groups(CHDG's). Local Authority support is rendered in three
major ways;
1. by making affordable serviced land available to beneficiaries,
2. giving technical advise to selfbuilders and setting houses out according to approved
building plans and
3. general consultation and logistical support such as office space, communication and
transport
Local Authorities are very instrumental in dealing with rapid urbanisation, in-migration
into urban areas by being pro-creative with reception areas or Incremental Development
Areas under the Build-Together Programme. New-comers to urban areas are given a place to
live under conditions where building and planning regulations are relaxed. In these
"designated areas", shelter can be built with any local building material until
such time as the economic condition of the people have improved to consolidate the
settlement.
Local Authorities are working in close collaboration with community groups and the Central
Government to prepare the National Plan of Action for implementation beyond Instanbul.
PRESENTATION
The Habitat II National Committee is preparing a further case studies inside Namibia on
local authority and Youth Best Practices. The Build-Together National Housing Programme's
case study is to show that post-apartheid Namibia had to produce an appropriate response
to rapid urban growth, migrant labour caught up in all-male overcrowded hostels, rural
households without physical infrastructure, rapidly rising cost of urban serviced land and
sporadic government projects (30 houses in Gibeon, 13 in Okakarara, 450 in the north).
The Build -Together Programme, consisting of 10 components of loans and technical
assistance is made up of
1. Single Quarters Upgrading Subprogramme
2. Urban Housing Loans Subprogramme
3. Rural Housing Loans Subprogramme
4. Informal Settlements Upgrading Subprogramme
5. Incremental Development Areas Subprogramme
6. Community Based Organisations(CBO's) Subprogramme
7. Social Housing Subprogramme
8. Land Servicing Subprogramme
9. Social Infrastructure Subprogramme
10. Communications and Learning Together Subprogramme
Beneficiaries of the graduated interest rate subsidised loans are low-income families
earning less than N$1250.00 (US$420) in formal or informal employment, communities living
in squatter areas or shacks and those without access to middle income housing from
parastatal (NHE) or banks and buildings societies, these loans can be paid off in 20 years
time with very low interest rates.
Low income people's dependence on the government or professionals (architects,
contractors) has been reoriented. People are building according to their own needs,
priorities and resources. The private sector is used in a support role. All loans are
disbursed and repayments collected by private banks and the post office, impact is that
the Government has reached 12 regions in 3 years (1992-1995), the last region, Oshana will
be reached by March 1996. Over 3400 housing units has been constructed, most of the units
are completed.
The Community Housing Development Group (CHDG) negotiate for land and people take
development in their own hands. Land becomes affordable, overcrowded areas are
de-densified and people's capacity to shelter themselves enhanced through the paradigm of
deprofessionalisation of housing.
Impact
* households are involved at the rate of 1300 per year
* people build according to own needs and priorities
* private sector play supportive role especially as supplier of cheapest materials
* all loans disbursed and repayments collected by private banks and post office
* over 3400 housing units have been constructed, most are complete
Sustainability
Namibia has developed a National Shelter Strategy with the full participation of all
stakeholders (the communities, the private sector, financial institutions, local
authorities and interested individuals). Therefore, Government has withdrawn from direct
construction to facilitation.
Namibia has made housing affordable and instilled self-help. 47% of BT beneficiaries
consist of female-headed households. In order to sustain the programme in the long run
through Regional Funds, the Namibian Government is preparing a New Housing Bill.
Local Authorities are very instrumental in dealing with rapid urbanisation, in-migration
into urban areas by being pro-creative with reception areas or Incremental Development
Areas under the Build-Together Programme. New-comers to urban areas are given a place to
live under conditions where building and planning regulations are relaxed. In these
"designated areas", shelter can be built with any local materials until such
time as the economic condition of the people have improved to consolidate the settlement.
Local Authorities are working closely with community groups and the Central Government to
prepare the National Plan of Action for implementation beyond Istanbul.
Contact
Sponsor
The Habitat II Secretariat UNCHS (Habitat), Nairobi
The Habitat II Secretariat
UNCHS (Habitat)
Nairobi
Namibia
P.O. Box 30030
(254-2)623033
habitat @ unep.no
Partners
National Housing Enterprise, Windhoek
Mr. K. Gowaseb
Mungunda Street
Windhoek
Namibia
P/bag 13289
Windhoek
UNDP, Windhoek
Mrs Constantia !Garus Oas
Mungunda Street
Windhoek
Namibia
P/bag 13289
+264 61 218064
Local Authorities
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