MPs push land bank to ease public servants’ housing shortage

DODOMA: THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Administration, Constitution and Legal Affairs has urged the government to establish a land bank for public servants’ housing projects to reduce construction delays, lower costs and address an estimated shortage of more than 219,000 houses.

The committee’s Deputy Chairperson, Mr Edwin Swalle, made the call during a visit to Watumishi Housing Investments (WHI) projects in Dodoma yesterday.

Speaking on behalf of the committee chairperson, he urged the President’s Office responsible for Public Service Management and Good Governance to prioritise the initiative in upcoming budgets, saying access to land would accelerate housing projects and improve public servants’ living conditions.

He also commended the government for investing in public servants’ welfare, noting that a dedicated land bank would support President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s vision of improving their living conditions.

Mr Edwin Swalle

The government plans to construct an additional 1,000 houses for public servants in district areas, a move expected to reduce the estimated housing deficit by about 0.5 per cent. However, the scale of the shortfall highlights the need for sustained investment, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Mr Swalle said decent accommodation was crucial for employees serving in remote and hardship areas, where housing shortages could undermine staff morale and make it difficult to attract and retain skilled personnel.

“WHI must ensure houses reached their intended beneficiaries by verifying occupancy and preventing occupants from renting out the units for personal gain. Houses should be reassigned to eligible public servants when the original occupants leave their posts,” he said.

The committee further recommended reviewing house prices and extending repayment periods to make the units more affordable. It also urged the government to consider free housing initiatives, citing the Mlezi project in Dodoma.

Under WHI’s rent-to-own arrangement, beneficiaries pay a 30 per cent deposit and settle the balance through instalments over 10 to 25 years.

Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Public Service Management and Good Governance, Mr Ridhiwani Kikwete, said WHI planned to deliver 739 housing units in the 2026/27 financial year. Of these, 245 were at various construction stages, while work on 494 new units was scheduled to begin.

Planned projects include 132 houses for public servants in hardship areas across 12 regions, 82 apartments under Phase Two of Kisasa Hilton in Dodoma and 280 apartments in Jangwani, Dar es Salaam.

Ongoing works include 78 houses in hardship areas across Kigoma, Dodoma, Mbeya, Mtwara and Lindi, alongside 101 apartments in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, and 66 units at Kisasa Hilton.

Mr Kikwete said construction of 666 houses at Njedengwa, Dodoma, had reached 85 per cent completion by June 2026 and was expected to be completed in February 2027. Another 78 hardship-area houses were 87 per cent complete, while 54 houses in five regions had been completed.

“WHI has reduced construction costs by up to 30 per cent through direct implementation and supervision, and has built and sold more than 1,500 affordable houses.

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He further said that more than 300 public servants are benefiting from its rent-to-own scheme.

WHI Acting Chief Executive Officer, Acting Chief Executive Architect Sephania Solomon, said the institution had been allocated 9.49bn/- for 2026/27, including 7.29bn/- for development activities, among them 142 houses in hardship areas.

He cited access to affordable serviced land and adequate capital as key challenges, adding that WHI was engaging councils, landowners, investors, pension funds and financial institutions to mobilise land and financing.

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