President Edgar Lungu says rural and urban housing development is key to reducing developmental inequalities and increasing access to decent housing for all.
President Lungu says majority of Zambian are living in poor housing conditions because population growth has outpaced the rate at which affordable decent housing is made available on the market.
He has expressed confidence in the possibility of meeting the demand for decent housing in the country with the help of Various Financiers, cooperating partners and other stakeholders.
The Head of State was speaking what he officiated at the launch of the Buy a Brick campaign, a project which aims at constructing 1000 houses for the poor across the country.
He has also advised rural Communities to form housing cooperatives in all villages to enhance local ownership and sustainability of such projects.
President Lungu says “Community led resource mobilisation, and implementation of housing projects such as this, is key to sustainability, and scaling up to other parts of the country.”
“If we, with all stakeholders, including local authorities, financiers, cooperating partners, civil society organisations, the private sector, and local citizens put our heads together, we can definitely meet the demand, and provide decent housing for all, in every village, under the “buy a brick campaign”. He notes.
Zambia’s current housing deficit stands at 1.5 million housing units with urbanization growing at 4.3% per annum which entails that 1, 93000 housing units should be built annually.