A NATIONAL VIEW
BY ANNA MULLER AND
ELIZABETH AMAKALI
AUGUST PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES
UNAM
Information from CLIP (2009)
 235 informal settlements in Namibia
 Estimate of 120,000 households living in
them
Income Information from CLIP (2012)
 head of households of 27 informal
settlements from 12 urban areas (9,773
households) in 4 regions
 Average N$885.10 , Median N$570
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Private Sector (individuals, banks and
developers – incomes above 10,000?)
NHE (for incomes above 5,000 – 20,000 :
◦ Houses cost from 100,000 plus
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Build Together Program (for incomes up to
3,000)
◦ Loans up to N$40,000
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Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (for
incomes below 2,000)
◦ Loans up to N$25,000
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The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia is a network of 635
saving schemes, involving 19,556 households (in June 2012),
was established in 1998, working with the Namibia Housing
Action Group (NHAG), our partner NGO
SDFN-NHAG developed in response to the need of low-income
households in acute need of secure living environments and
basic services; 66% of our members are women
The first housing groups organised themselves since 1987
SDFN is part of the Shack Dwellers International (SDI) network,
with 34 affiliates in Africa, Asia and Central and South America
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SDFN has become an important role player in
empowering the poor through a community driven
approach through which we secure affordable land,
shelter and services for members participating in
an incremental development process
By Juny 2012 ◦ members saved N$ 10,65 million
◦ 5,000 households accessed security of tenure
◦ 3,100 households constructed houses
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Small regular savings
Exposure and learning through exchanges
Brick making, house construction and house opening
events
Accessing land, services and houses as organised
communities
Twahangana Fund as the Poor People’s Development
Fund for developing land, services and shelter
Community Land Information Programme (CLIP) informal settlement profiling, socio–economic
surveys and mapping, health and environment
awareness