By: Josia Shigwedha 

The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development said the lack of accurate and timely data on housing in the country has made it difficult for the ministry to adequately address the housing crisis over the years. 

The Deputy Minister Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele, said the ongoing 2023 National Housing and Population Census will provide the ministry with qualitative data that will enable them to implement effective interventions.

With a housing backlog standing at 300 000 nationally, the Namibian government will have to deliver 30 000 housing units annually over the next seven years, until 2030 to address the problem.

!Nawases-Taeyele, who was speaking during the African Union for Housing Finance 39th Annual Conference and General Meeting in Windhoek, said they look forward to the Namibia Statistics Agency census data, for the ministry to address the issue through the implementation of evidence-based strategies. 

“Regrettably, reliable and timely statistics is often a challenge, and this in turn negatively affects the quality and effectiveness of the interventions. In the case of Namibia, the government through our Ministry has partnered with the National Statistics Agency to ensure the collection of data on various aspects of the housing part of the National Population and Housing census 2023, which is currently underway,” said Nawases-Taeyele. 

Delegates from across the continent, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Angola, are attending the conference.  The conference provides a platform for experts and stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop innovative solutions to address the affordable housing challenges throughout the continent. 

South African Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Pam Tshwete, said that they are encouraged by last year’s census data which indicates that 91.3 percent of South African households now have access to clean water. Furthermore, she said the statistics indicate that since 1994 to date, the National Department of Human Settlements has delivered 3.5 million housing units and 1.3 million serviced sites.

The African Union for Housing Finance conference concludes today, with attendees from various nations committed to addressing housing challenges across the continent.