Outjo: The Outjo Municipality is grappling with a housing crisis due to a significant population increase and economic disparities, pushing the council to seek over N$18 million for land development and infrastructure improvements. These funds are critical for addressing the needs in housing, roads, water supply, sanitation, and electricity. According to Namibia Press Agency, the Outjo Municipality Public Relations Officer, Rivonia Roman, detailed the challenges faced by the council, particularly in managing the rapid influx of residents, which has grown by more than 63% in the past decade to a current total of 19,743. This increase is largely attributed to rural inhabitants moving to the town in search of job opportunities after a prolonged drought devastated their traditional means of livelihood. Roman highlighted the lack of serviced plots as a major hurdle. "The council has enough plots to accommodate the inflow of residents to the town; the only issue is that the plots are not serviced," she explained. I n terms of specific areas within Outjo, Roman mentioned that Extension 4 of the town, though fully declared and registered, consists of over 240 plots that are unprepared for building due to the absence of basic services. Similarly, in the Etoshapoort location, more than 600 plots designated for middle- and low-income families remain unserviced. The municipality is currently awaiting a response from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development regarding their request for the N$18 million needed to proceed with these developments. Roman remains optimistic about the town's ability to sustain its growing population once the informal settlements are fully formalized. She noted progress in areas such as the electrification project in Ehangano, and successful public-private partnerships that have facilitated the servicing of plots in Extension 5 in Etoshapoort. Furthermore, the full allocation of plots in Extension 8 has started to mitigate the housing shortage. The council is actively seeking additional funds fro m stakeholders to service plots in Extension 4, which targets middle to high-income earners. This effort is part of a broader strategy to resolve the housing backlog and improve living conditions in Outjo.