40,000 homes for POM

 By MALUM NALU

THE National Housing Corporation will build 40,000 new homes in Port Moresby to address the massive housing problem in the city, managing director John Dege says.

He told journalists yesterday a survey highlighted on the front page of The National yesterday on the worrying housing problem faced by employers and employees was consistent with information they already have.

“The research is consistent with the data provided by the National Research Institute and various stakeholders in the past,” Dege told reporters.

“(The National) Housing Corporation, through its own internal survey, has confirmed that there is a huge shortage of housing, not only in Port Moresby but elsewhere in the country.

“It’s basically because, in the wisdom of previous governments, they’ve given away all the State properties to tenants. That reduced all the housing stock we’ve had for the Government.

“Government has not provided adequate funding to restore the houses that they’ve given away in giveaway schemes. But that doesn’t mean that Housing Corporation and other stakeholders will remain complacent and expect something out of the blue. We’ve commenced delivering a new stock of houses.”

The findings of the 2013 BHC and Hay Group Paynet Remuneration Survey on the housing shortage were presented to members of the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week by Concept Group managing director Brendan Coombs.

Coombs said the survey found that more than 50% of the 70 organisations questioned provided a housing allowance to their employees, 28% rented or provided accommodation, 14% provided nothing and 7% (including Government) offered home ownership.

Dege said yesterday the Government had been able to secure two urban development leases at Durand Farm, outside Port Moresby, and at the back of the National Research Institute in Waigani.

“We will secure just under 40,000 serviced blocks,” he said. “The Government has directed that we should service the blocks, allow the public to take serviced blocks and build within their own capacity. 

“This is the programme we’ve commenced.“We’re developing the two UDLs jointly with Department of National Planning, the Office of Urbanisation, National Research Institute and Department of Lands.”