Affordable housing still a mirage

Meagre Government investment coupled with the private sector’s preference for the higher-end market are some of the reasons why home-ownership is beyond the reach of many, writes Ferdinand Mwongela

With an annual deficit of over 100,000 housing units, the real estate sub-sector though widely regarded as one of the best performing sectors of the economy is still an industry in the doldrums, with a myriad of problems affecting it. The cry for more affordable houses has yielded little with the Government being blamed for the low investment in the sector coupled with the abdication of its role in the provision of trunk infrastructure.