Government’s commitment towards advancing plans for affordable housing through the public-private partnership program has been welcomed by Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat country director Susan Naidu said its recent Housing Ecosystems Assessment (HEA) revealed that significant increases in cost of materials, fuel and land prices and the lack of knowledge around housing finance were contributing factors that created a deficit in affordable housing in Fiji.
“Achieving affordability around housing is challenging, as the cost of building materials and supply chain have soared,” Ms Naidu said.
“We look forward to welcoming the various solutions this program may have to offer in creating affordable housing stock for the disadvantaged communities.”
Ms Naidu said the assessment report also found the significant increase in rural to urban migration led to an increase in informal settlements in Fiji.
She urged the Government to ensure that homes built were up to standard and proper assessments done on the proposed sites to prevent issues such as flooding and pollution.
“We believe that together, with partners, governments and communities, we can create lasting change so that people living in the informal settlements have safe and secure homes,” Ms Naidu said.
