‎‎Harare, (New Ziana) – The Government has set an ambitious target of producing one million housing units between 2026 and 2030 as part of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), while also moving to drastically reduce informal settlements across the country, a senior Government official has said.
‎Speaking during a housing sector engagement meeting, director, Strategic Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, Marian Mutenga said the housing sector had been tasked with achieving two major targets under the national development agenda.
‎”At national level, we are expected to produce one million housing units. ‎These housing units include both serviced stands and completed houses. ‎However, this figure is only the minimum target. It will be ideal for us to surpass it,” she said.
‎Mutenga said the second target focuses on reducing the number of people living in informal settlements and slum-like conditions.
‎She said, according to figures from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) currently, 1.1 percent of the country’s population is living in informal settlements, a figure they intend to reduce to 0.1 percent by 2030.
‎She stressed that it was unacceptable for a significant portion of the population to continue living in poor housing conditions and called for collective action from all stakeholders.
‎”It is not ideal for this big chunk of our population to be living in such conditions. Let us work together to reduce it,” she said.
‎To achieve the targets, Mutenga said government plans to partner with various stakeholders to accelerate the provision of affordable and low-cost housing while ensuring access to decent and affordable shelter for all citizens.
‎Government is also focusing on the regularisation of informal settlements and the creation of a conducive environment for housing development through policy reforms and legislative reviews.
‎Among the laws earmarked for review, said Mutenga, are the Housing and Building Act, the Housing Standards Control Act, the Model Building By-Laws of 1977, and the Building Code of 1932.
‎”The Model Building By-Laws of 1977 were enacted the year I was born, and they are still being used to regulate the housing sector today.
‎You can imagine that nearly 50 years later we are still relying on outdated legislation. We want to modernise these laws,” she said.
‎Government also plans to review the Environmental Human Settlements Policy and recapitalise the Housing Guarantee Fund and National Housing Fund to support increased housing delivery, she said.
‎Mutenga said rural housing development was another major priority, noting the growing construction activity taking place in rural communities.
‎”We want to promote modern, cost-effective rural housing using standardised designs that ensure quality, durability and sustainability,” she said.
‎In addition, she said government also intends to invest in social amenities to support housing developments, including schools, health facilities, recreational centres, libraries and community halls.
‎”These are some of the strategies we are adopting so that we achieve our Vision 2030 goals,” she said.
New Ziana
