On October 5, 2023, a housing symposium was held in Kampala, Uganda, in celebration of World Habitat Day. Habitat for Humanity Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, and various stakeholders, organized the event at Mestil Hotel.
The symposium, conducted under the theme “Informal Settlements as a Driver for Economic Growth,” aimed to promote collaborative pilot initiatives to improve housing in Uganda. Key objectives included encouraging business development, sharing knowledge, and enhancing institutional and regulatory support to incorporate sustainability principles in housing projects, programs, and private sector expansion.
The event, graced by Minister Judith Nabakooba and dignitaries from other countries, highlighted the government’s commitment to ensuring secure housing for all. Minister Nabakooba emphasized the essential role of housing in poverty alleviation, job creation, and overall national development.
Acknowledging Uganda’s challenges of insufficient and unaffordable housing, the Minister stated, “Housing is a crucial sector within the broader urban economy. Properly developed, it has the potential to significantly reduce poverty, create jobs, and drive national development.”
The government introduced a multi-faceted approach to enhance housing affordability. This approach includes land consolidation, tax policy reforms, legal frameworks, a mortgage refinancing system, and housing options for those in need.
The timing of this symposium is crucial, as globally, approximately 1.8 billion people endure overcrowded informal settlements, often referred to as slums, with limited access to basic necessities. In Uganda, a housing deficit of 2.4 million units persists, affecting 20.3 percent of the population living in poverty and facing significant housing challenges.
