WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2011-07-25 Time: 22:26:07 Posted By: News Poster
By Irene Hoa(235)ës
Namibia faces a serious housing backlog, especially among its poor.
According to Kavango Block Brick entrepreneur, Heinrich Schroeder, the cost of construction (final structure) needs to be separated from the issue of serviceable land delivery.
“Only when these two issues are separately addressed can we move away from the murky world of speculation and opinion. We say, identifying problems is half way to solving them,” Schroeder said.
The entrepreneur said as an expert in the field of delivery of affordable and dignified housing, he can only address the final structure component of the problem equation.
He further highlighted some factors that he said pertains to the overall problem.
“Government needs assistance and advice on formalising a solid housing consumer law with a legislative body added to it.”
He pointed to the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development as the ideal ministry to spearhead formalisation of the law.
Schroeder said the regulatory body to enforce the law needs to offer a structural warranty scheme to cover the liveable top structure of a dwelling against structural defects, e.g. the foundation, wall and roof.
“A structural warranty scheme would protect the home owner should structural defects occur and the proposed law will force contractors to rectify any structural defects which may occur within a certain period of time,” he added.
He said many houses in Namibia are not built in accordance with internationally recognized standards.
He, however, said if a law is in place, builders would be required to build according to standards prescribed in the law.
“Such a regulatory body would have inspectors to ensure the law is adhered to. The wealthy have their houses built on standards, and the poor suffer the consequences of inferior building standards as a direct result of unenforced building standards,” the entrepreneur stated.
Schroeder suggested a home maintenance insurance programme that will offer maintenance every five to eight years, which is financed by a licensed short-term insurance provider, provided there is a mortgage loan on the dwelling.
According to the entrepreneur, in future government dwellings could also be included in such a maintenance programme.
Schroeder, who also suggested a housing consumer protection law, said such a law needs to force commercial home finance providers to reduce the lending rate in the under N$400 000 housing category.
“Instead of 12 percent, reduce the lending rate to 8 percent or less,” he suggested.
Schroeder said a mortgage home loan of say N$2 million is subjected to a lending rate of 8 percent, whereas a mortgage loan of just over N$400 000 is subjected to an interest rate of 12 percent.
“How can the lower income earners, who are the majority of the population in Namibia, enter the housing market with the current lending criteria offered by Namibian financial institutions?” he questioned.
In addition, he said, an entry level dwelling (bachelor type unit) owner with a mortgage bond should be able to apply for a second bond for extensions once the principle amount of the first bond is paid off.
Namibian housing consumers need to be protected from banks, he suggested.
Schroeder is of the opinion that commercial banks do not seem to be innovative in their approach towards home owners when they are in trouble.
“Banks generally don’t care about the hard-earned savings of the average and lower income groups. They do not seem to have concerns about the blood and sweat, hard earned monthly mortgage bond repayment which home owner have to pay to keep a roof over their heads as citizens of this country,” he said.
He is of the opinion that commercial banks need to cater for joint family incomes ranging between N$3 500 and N$12 000.
Original Source: 
Original date published: 25 July 2011
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201107251744.html?viewall=1