Eheke’s low-income earners get shot at houses 

Taimi Haihambo

The Oshana Regional Council on Tuesday handed over a site for the construction of 10 low-cost houses to 10 beneficiaries at Eheke Settlement under the Build Together Programme.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development with
N$800 000 through the ministry’s Trust Fund for Regional Development and Equity Provision.

Speaking during the handover, Eheke Constituency councillor Andreas Amundjindi said the construction of the 10 houses will provide much-needed accommodation to qualifying beneficiaries while contributing to the broader development of the settlement.

The houses are intended for low-income earners and form part of efforts to improve living conditions at Eheke, which is gradually developing from a village into a more urbanised settlement. The construction of modern homes is expected to contribute to that transformation as the community continues to grow.

For one of the beneficiaries, Tulinanye Kambode said the project also represents a long-awaited opportunity to own a home.

Kambode he had lived for a long time without a house of his own and was never certain whether his income would allow him to reach a point where he could afford one.

“I lived so long without a house of my own, and I did not know if in life I could really come to a point where I could afford a house because of my income,” Kambode said.

The opportunity came when applications for the houses opened under the Build Together Programme. Kambode said he did not hesitate to apply and was among the first people to submit his application after learning about the opportunity.

“When I heard about the applications, I was the first person to run and apply,” he said. His application was successful, and he was selected as one of the 10 beneficiaries who will receive a house under the project. Kambode said being selected was particularly meaningful because homeownership had previously appeared difficult to achieve on his income.

He also welcomed the repayment arrangement under the Build Together Programme, saying it gives beneficiaries an opportunity to work towards owning their homes without having to obtain a conventional housing loan from a commercial bank. According to Kambode, the arrangement is different from the way many people finance houses through banks, where applicants must meet various requirements before receiving housing finance. He said his payslip does not include a housing allowance, making conventional housing finance difficult for him. The monthly deduction arrangement under the programme, however, gives him a way to repay the cost of the house within his means.

“The way of paying is good because we do not need to get a loan from the bank. We get monthly deductions,” he said.

Kambode said the arrangement gives people who earn limited incomes an opportunity to work towards owning a home without taking on a conventional bank loan that may be difficult to afford. The latest project follows an earlier round of low-cost housing development at Eheke, making the current construction phase part of continued efforts to expand housing opportunities in the settlement. 

Amundjindi said the project would not only address the immediate housing needs of the selected beneficiaries but would also contribute to the wider development of Eheke.

Five contractors have been appointed to construct the 10 houses, bringing together housing provision and local development as Eheke continues to grow.

– taimihaihambo2000@gmail.com

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