Story by Wellington Makonese
THE housing sector has registered significant progress during the first phase of the National Development Strategy One (NDS1), with the government highlighting increased housing delivery, faster land servicing and targeted measures to reduce the housing backlog and curb the growth of informal settlements.
Housing was identified as a key pillar for social transformation under NDS1, prompting the government to scale up land servicing, housing construction and strategic partnerships with local authorities and private developers to enhance access to decent and affordable shelter.
According to the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, more than a million serviced stands and housing units were delivered or regularised during the NDS1 period, supported by policy reforms such as the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy and the Title Deeds Programme and key private-public partnerships to scale up national housing delivery targets, while strengthening planning and tenure security.
“The launch of the National Human Settlements Policy acknowledged that Zimbabwe had a housing deficit of about two million units, and that previous frameworks had allowed the growth of irregular settlements. The new policy focuses on densification, regularisation and orderly development, mindful of a growing population. Under NDS1, we made significant progress in land servicing, construction and coordination with local authorities and the private sector, ensuring more structured and sustainable housing delivery,” Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Honourable Zhemu Soda said.
Beyond increasing housing supply, NDS1 also prioritised curbing the growth of informal settlements, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas where low-income households are most affected.
“NDS1 placed strong emphasis on upgrading and regularising informal settlements, while expanding affordable housing schemes for low-income earners. Although demand remains high, meaningful inroads were made, and a solid foundation has been laid for the next phase,” Honourable Soda said.
The progress recorded under NDS1 is expected to inform the implementation of NDS2, which targets another million housing units, as the government moves to scale up housing delivery, strengthen urban planning frameworks and further reduce the national housing deficit.
