The National Housing Profile shows that the increasing need for affordable urban housing in the country is 98,711 and these houses will have to be built by 2025.

The acting Housing Director in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship, Ms. Mamphaka Mabesa said this during the National Housing Policy Dissemination workshop held in Thaba-Tseka on Tuesday.

Ms. Mabesa said ineffective land use planning and management frameworks lead to increased competition between agriculture and housing.

She said this leads to a rapid increase in unplanned settlements with limited services, adding that the rapidly growing settlements are developing in an unplanned manner without adequate provision of basic infrastructure and services like water supply, sanitation, drainage, roads and electricity.

She added that the predominance of unplanned housing construction as well as the low-income levels and high poverty rates have caused disparity as housing is currently supplied by the formal sector hence unaffordable for the great majority of households.

“70 percent of households that earn less than M1,000 per month can only afford a dwelling costing M48,000 and there is limited access to housing finance as small mortgage lending sector is servicing only high-income groups,” she said.

Ms. Mabesa added that the deterioration of the housing stock and inadequate supply of infrastructure and services like water supply, sanitation, drainage, roads, and electricity leads to underserviced and deteriorating rural housing.

She further noted that the profile indicates that the formal housing market in Lesotho is very small and unregulated thus catering only for high and middle-income earners, leaving out the low-income earners.

“The report shows that the low political will to address housing issues remains a call for concern,” she said.

Speaking at the same meeting, Mrs. Mamorapeli Bookholane said the Action Oriented Policy sets out a new global standard for Sustainable Urban Development, saying this will help in planning and managing cities by drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors at all levels of government as well as the private sector.

She highlighted that this will be achieved through the New Urban Agenda and its related policies which align themselves with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 which commits to ensuring that all have access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrading slums, enhancing inclusive participation in planning and management of human settlement.

She said the New Urban Agenda promotes sustainable urban development in cities and human settlements with an emphasis on inclusive participation by all stakeholders and urban actors.

Mrs. Bookholane added that principles of the New Urban Agenda call for cities and adequate housing for all and ensuring participation in national frameworks and policy formulations and all other development plans.

In closing the District Council Secretary (DCS), Mr. Thabo Letlatsa said the policy is very crucial and will help improve people’s lives.

He said Thaba Tseka is also facing the same challenges which he admitted have been created by everyone in the district, saying it is amazing to see people building houses in the wetlands and thereafter asking for help during rainy seasons.

He said it is everyone’s responsibility to build a prosperous Thaba-Tseka town.

Similar workshops were held in other districts that include Butha-Buthe, Mokhotlong, Leribe, Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek, Quthing and Qacha’s Nek.

Source: LENA 31/08/2022