Online Reporter
Access to urban housing is generally a huge challenge in our country, as it is in most developing nations.
That is the case because of the high costs involved. For an average person therefore, buying a residential stand is difficult. Developing it is just as difficult. It is costlier when buying a fully developed property.
Economic difficulties between 2000 and around 2019, seen in high inflation and currency instability, tended to discourage financial institutions from providing mortgage finance. A few banks and building societies are, however, resuming, but again, the deposits required and monthly instalments cost an arm and a leg.
As a result, a substantial proportion of the urban population takes the decision to rent. By November last year, the Government measured the national housing backlog at 1,25 million units. While it is ordinarily difficult for most of us to buy or build residential properties in towns and cities, we have seen progress since 2021 when the Government launched the National Human Settlements Policy. The document envisions provision of 220 000 housing units by the end of this year.
Encouragingly, the goal had been exceeded as at December last year after more than 700 000 had been delivered nationwide.
That target was exceeded because of strong collaboration between the Government, prospective home owners and the private sector. One of the initiatives which is contributing is the Accelerated Presidential Housing Scheme (APHS), which assists civil servants to have decent residential accommodation.
As we report elsewhere today, 236 houses have been completed at the Emthunzini development under the APHS in Bulawayo out of 4 000 planned for the suburb. There are similar developments in other urban areas nationwide.
This is a very important intervention, which is facilitating access to decent urban housing by civil servants who would ordinarily be too resource-constrained to be able to build homes for themselves.
The Government and its partners are encouraged to keep up the momentum.
Apart from the APHS, there are multiple other private initiatives underway, or that are being considered across the country to improve public access to housing. These too, must be intensified.
With all the work that is being done, we see no reason why a revised target to have built one million housing units by the end of this year cannot be achieved, and exceeded.
This tells us that even if there are challenges, our people, their Government and the private sector are working very hard so that more of us can have a roof of their own, not just a roof, over their heads.
This gives the new home owners a huge amount of dignity and self-worth that renting doesn’t. It engenders inner peace in the new landlords. It gives them a sense of belonging, and permanence. It removes the stress of a life on the edge, rather, a life on the move.
derick.khumalo