Rundu: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development is conducting a series of consultative meetings in Rundu this week with the five most populous local authorities. The focus is on assessing land delivery and housing provision.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the consultations, running from Monday to Friday, involve the Rundu Town Council, the City of Windhoek, Oshakati Town Council, Walvis Bay Municipality, and Swakopmund Municipality. The meetings are part of Parliament's oversight and fact-finding mandate, as stated by standing committee chairperson Elifas Dingara during the opening on Monday.
Dingara emphasized that the engagements are designed to provide Parliament with an evidence-based understanding of how land and housing are planned, financed, and delivered at the local authority level. The aim is also to identify persistent constraints hindering progress in these areas. The five-day platform allows local authorities to present their experiences, achievements, and challenges in a structured, transparent, and accountable manner.
Presentations are set to cover several priority areas, including the implementation of existing legal and policy frameworks governing housing provision, such as the Local Authorities Act and the Decentralisation Enabling Act. Other focus areas include available housing programs at both national and local levels, as well as progress made in addressing housing needs within respective jurisdictions.
The consultations will place particular emphasis on the availability of reliable statistical data, budgeting and funding mechanisms, the role of strategic partners, and the major challenges affecting effective land delivery and housing provision. Dingara stressed that the consultations are intended to be constructive and solution-oriented.
Interactive question-and-answer sessions during and after presentations will enable committee members to better understand the realities on the ground. The committee aims to develop a comprehensive national picture of housing provision, gain deeper insight into challenges faced by local authorities, and propose practical measures to address the growing housing backlog.
Namibia's housing backlog is estimated to range between 300,000 and 700,000 units, with Rundu alone facing an estimated shortfall of about 12,000 housing units. Kavango East Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka highlighted that rapid urbanization, population growth, and income inequality have contributed to the expansion of informal settlements in Rundu. He noted that many residents, particularly youth and low-income households, continue to struggle to access affordable and adequate housing, indicating that addressing the challenge requires more than isolated interventions.