IPNEWS-Monrovia: In effects to actualize the provision of quality housing facilities for Liberians at all levels in line with the Government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PADP), the National Housing Authority NHA) on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, outside Monrovia, held a National Stakeholder’s Conference on the housing sector.
Giving an overview of the stakeholders confab, MD Cuffy Brown said the confab was historic in the country’s progressive march to development as the NHA takes yet another bold step in boosting the housing needs of the people of Liberia.
According to her, “This national stakeholder’s conference is a signpost of President George Weah-led government’s determination to further put similes on the faces of the people of Liberia by identifying innovative and pragmatic ways to provide decent, durable, up-to-standard and affordable housing units for the population.”
“As we embark on this awesome journey and provide a platform to stimulate public inputs in mapping out strategies to advance the wellbeing of our people through the provision of decent and modern housing facilities, Mr., President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, please permit to report on some of the most recent progress being made to actualize the President’s signature vision of lifting our people out of poverty through the provision of quality housing facilities.” MD Cuffy Brown asserted.
She stress the private sector is also a critical partner in the housing sector, therefore the NHA has embarked on Public-Private Investment initiative opposite the EBK Barracks along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway.
“This initiative proudly sees the government of Liberia, through the National Housing Authority (NHA) partnering with the Millennium Construction Company for the construction of 5,000 housing Units of 3 to 4 bedrooms. This project seeks to address affordability and serve the Liberia populace.”“Additionally, the National Housing Authority has secured a One Hundred Million United States Dollars ($100 Million) Public Private Partnership (PPP) Housing Contract with Structure and Logistics Limited, a Real-estate Company whose Head Offices are in Accra, Ghana. The Objective of this contract is to build 2,000 housing units in Montserrado, Margibi, Grand Bassa, Bong, Nimba and Grand Cape Mount counties, in accordance with Public Procurement Concessions Commission (PPCC) Act. These facilities will be constructed in favor of civil servants and Liberians as a whole.”
She disclosed that the Government of Liberia, through the NHA, will provide the land whilst Structure and Logistics Limited will through Liberian construction firms undertake the construction of the housing facilities.
“The NHA will do the marketing and selling whilst the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning will deduct from the payrolls of civil servants who commit to owning each of the housing units. Other Liberians who are not in the employ of government but are desirous of owning any of these housing units will be given an opportunity to purchase through a payroll deduction at their places of work or through other legal arrangements,” MD Cuffy Brown noted.
Sample of some of the housing units to be constructed by the NHA in Liberia
The NHA Managing Director also stressed that the current NHA’s management aggressive approach to improve the housing sector has also resulted in the securing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Housing Solution (GHS) and the Liberia Asset Management Company (LAMCO) for the construction of a total of 600 housing units; with GHS and LAMCO constructing 300 each.
Concluding, MD Cuffy Brown reiterated President Weah’s leadership has highlighted the provision of quality housing facilities as a mainstay in the actualization of the county’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
She lauded all NHA partners who have shown and continue to show support as the housing agency strives to carry its mandate as enshrined in the Act that created the National Housing Authority (NHA).
A housing unit under construction opposite the EBK Barracks along the RIA highway
Meanwhile, several of NHA partners at the Confab did presentations of the difference type of housing units that they will be built in the country. The Millennium Construction Inc., Global Housing Solutions (GHS), Liberia Asset Management Company (LAMCO), Beaver Liberia Inc., Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).
The LBDI and the NHA through the Government of Liberia have been collaborating for some time now on the mortgage program of the NHA housing units. As the CBL, a stronger cooperation is being sought by the NHA to financially put in a position to implement its mandate as enshrined in the Act that established the NHA.
Nimba Lawmaker Frowns on LACE Usurping of NHA’s Functions Due to Politics
The National Housing Authority is a Government of Liberia agency created by Act of legislature in 1960 intended to provide low income housing for Liberian.
The mandate of NHA is to play a principal role in the implementation of the Government’s housing policies and programmes. Its vision is to develop standards, policies and technology to improve housing through formulating public private partnership to access resources for implementing housing projects in Liberia.
NHA was tasked to develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated housing program which shall embrace, among others, housing development and resettlement, sources and schemes of financing, and delineation of government and private sector participation.
NHA MD Celia Cuffy Brown (2nd from left) flanked by Rep, Kogar and CBL Dep Governor Dukuly
At the NHA Stakeholders Confab on Thursday, Nimba County Representative Samuel Kogar frowned on what he called: “Usurpation of the functions of the National Housing Authority (NHA) by a post-civil war entity – The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE).”
He said first and foremost in order to make a reality the NHA several housing projects that it is embarking on, the people have to be nationalistic, job security has to be assured, and do away with sectionalism and nepotism. He noted these are elements that have eaten the fabric of Liberia.
According to Rep. Kogar, usurpation of function is one of the impediments in the Liberian society. “You are talking about National Housing Authority than you are talking about the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) that always carrying out the President’s projects. He said people are afraid to engage government constructively because they are afraid. How will the National Housing Authority be functional when all presidential housing projects are given to LACE to implement instead of the NHA? Favoritism is also carrying our country background. Is it a competition or it is a special favor being shown one agency of government over the other that has the mandate to handle all government housing projects,” Rep. Kogar wondered.
Concluding, Rep. Kogar encouraged the banking institutions, including the Central Bank of Liberia and other commercial to provide services that will enable the ordinary man to obtain loan that he can use to acquire any of the NHA housing units will be constructed throughout Liberia.
A cross section of the participants at the NHA stakeholder Confab
However, he frowned on Liberians who renege on servicing their loans that they obtained from banking institutions, because failure to service those loans put the bank at disadvantage to replenish the money given out to Liberians as loans. He assured that the Legislative will support the NHA in the new housing units endeavor.
The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment, Inc. (LACE), a not-for-profit organization, was established on July 22, 2004, under New Executive Law, Title 12, Chapter 50.B of the Liberian Code of Laws, also known as the “Community Empowerment Act”. The primary goals to be accomplished by LACE are to engender national initiatives and strategies geared towards alleviating poverty and towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals in Liberia through community-driven development. The position of Executive Director is the top management position of LACE, providing overall leadership, program direction and fiscal and staff oversight,
ensuring high organizational, program and financial performance and impact. The Executive Director chairs the Management Committee of LACE.
On her part, newly-appointed Public Works Minister, Ruth Coker Collins, as Chairman of the Board Directors of the NHA promised to work assiduously with the institution in its endeavors in regards to the housing projects. She urged Liberian contractors to take advantage of the training services that will provided by foreign construction companies who have been earmarked by the NHA to construct the housing units in Liberia.
