Oshakati and NHE in housing agreement

OSHAKATI – The Oshakati Town Council and the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) signed a N$420 million housing development initiative agreement on Wednesday.

The Chief Executive Officer of NHE, Vinson Hailulu, signed the agreement with his Oshakati Town Council counterpart, John Nghihepa, in the presence of the town councillors, officials, regional council representative and local business owners. Nghihepa told the gathering that the project was initiated in 1997, but could not get off the ground due to a scarcity of funds.He pointed out that the Oshakati Town Council had a responsibility to compensate the families who have to make way for the project – some of whom have already been compensated.According to him, phase one of the project is going to affect only five families, while the others would only be moved at a later stage of the project.Hailulu indicated that the first phase of the Ehenye Housing Development Project would get off the ground from November 1 this year, now that NHE had secured the funds from the Development Bank of Namibia and signed a memorandum of understanding with the council.Speaking at the signing on behalf of the town council, Skinny Hilundua described the project as the biggest housing development to be undertaken at the town since Independence.Hilundua said under the first phase of this project, about 500 houses would be built at Ehenye village, situated north-east of Oshakati, at a cost of N$30 million.He said the Oshakati Town Council would see 2 235 houses built at Ehenye at the completion of the project.He believes that many residents of the town would benefit in various ways from the project, in terms of house ownership, employment opportunities and service provision.Ondangwa, Outapi, Eenhana and Helao Nafidi are some of the other towns that will benefit from the NHE’s housing development drive in the country, he said.NampaNghihepa told the gathering that the project was initiated in 1997, but could not get off the ground due to a scarcity of funds.He pointed out that the Oshakati Town Council had a responsibility to compensate the families who have to make way for the project – some of whom have already been compensated.According to him, phase one of the project is going to affect only five families, while the others would only be moved at a later stage of the project.Hailulu indicated that the first phase of the Ehenye Housing Development Project would get off the ground from November 1 this year, now that NHE had secured the funds from the Development Bank of Namibia and signed a memorandum of understanding with the council.Speaking at the signing on behalf of the town council, Skinny Hilundua described the project as the biggest housing development to be undertaken at the town since Independence.Hilundua said under the first phase of this project, about 500 houses would be built at Ehenye village, situated north-east of Oshakati, at a cost of N$30 million.He said the Oshakati Town Council would see 2 235 houses built at Ehenye at the completion of the project.He believes that many residents of the town would benefit in various ways from the project, in terms of house ownership, employment opportunities and service provision.Ondangwa, Outapi, Eenhana and Helao Nafidi are some of the other towns that will benefit from the NHE’s housing development drive in the country, he said.Nampa