FG promises Zamfara residents affordable housing

The Federal Government has assured the people of Zamfara that they would have access to affordable housing units after the state provided over 50 hectares of land for the project.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, gave the assurance when the State Governor, Dauda Lawal Dare paid a visit in Abuja, saying, ”We want to assure that we will provide all the support required to enhance decent, quality housing to citizens.”

Dangiwa appreciated the governor for keying into the Renewed Hope Estate at no cost to the ministry, noting that free land will make the house units affordable to the citizens, as Zamfara state would be on the priority list to benefit from subsequent building programmes.

“Let us assure that the ministry will ensure that Zamfara state is included in the next batch of the states to benefit from the programme,” Dangiwa said.

On the National Housing Programme (NHP) the Minister said “We also have been informed that officials are engaging with the team to which next week they are coming again regarding the interest in purchasing the unsold housing units under the National Housing Program in your state.”

Similarly, he opined that the ministry had done a downward review of the prices of the houses as requested by the state government.

He said the ministry would look into it and see how it could be further reviewed downward.

Dangiwa however affirmed that the cost expended on infrastructure on the houses has been written off to ensure affordability, mentioning that they were aware that the state would further subsidised for its citizens after buying them to ensure affordability.

Earlier, Governor Dare, said they were in the ministry to appeal to the minister for his intervention to fast-track the completion of the agreement between the ministry and Zamfara State on the purchase of the NHP housing units in the state as it would enable the state to take over the structure.

He noted that the state being bedeviled with many challenges like insecurity, lack of infrastructure, and housing care among others would need the intervention of the ministry to provide decent, quality, and affordable houses for its citizens because tackling the challenges has taken a toll on the state’s finances.