The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Land Reform has raised concerns over the cost of housing, calling for stronger support for affordable housing initiatives.
The committee was on an oversight visit to Katima Mulilo and Bukalo, where it assessed housing delivery and land-servicing projects.
The committee made a comparison to the Shack Dwellers Federation and National Housing Enterprises provision of houses.
Committee Chairperson, Clemencia Coetzee said, "Shackdwellers are building small houses but they are affordable, but if it comes to NHE, its very expensive and if we go back and do the recommendation, I would also like that we do the recommendation that they must be classes, shackdwellers must be given a class for example from N$300,000 downwards, and NHE must go from N$300,000 upwards so that we can see who can afford those houses and so that we can help each other on that effect."
She commended Bukalo Village Council for the progress it has made in housing provision, saying the committee would recommend increased funding for regions, local authorities and village councils that are delivering services despite limited resources.
The Namibia Housing Action Group says it requires greater support from local authorities and government to expand its housing programme.
It says delays in land allocation, planning and township development, as well as limited funding and rising construction costs, are affecting its ability to meet the growing demand for housing.
Project Officer at Namibia Housing Action Group, Augusto Kamolokamwe, said, "Potential areas in the corporation include accelerated land allocation, bulk infrastructure development, servicing of land for the members, housing finance for the members so that we can be able to assist more of our members, and also technical assistance."
The committee also paid a courtesy visit to Zambezi Governor Dorothy Kabula, who highlighted inconsistent budget allocations as one of the challenges affecting development in the region, citing the delayed development of Kongola Settlement.
"Kongola is one of the upcoming settlement, apparently budget was supposed to be there, but what happened now is kongola is earmarked as a settlement, where are the funds and who is to be blamed here, last year, people were blamed to say money for kongola was eaten, which was not like that, it was not like that, I'm reliably informed that the money did not go for building, it was for surveyors."
Kabula says although roads have been constructed in the area, funding for further infrastructure development was removed from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development's current financial plan.