Funding boost to help thousands of Namibians back into housing

A pioneering project, aimed at helping thousands of Namibians secure housing, has received a significant funding boost from Places for People –the UK’s largest housing and regeneration group.

The Group has given UK based charity Homeless International £17,000 to support poor communities in the Namibia, and help people access land, improve housing and develop basic community infrastructure. With a population of 1.7 million people, Namibia is a sparsely populated country of small towns and cities. However, ten years after its independence from South Africa, Namibia has an increasing number of households living in informal shack settlements. Recent figures suggesting as many as 350,000 people are living in poor and dilapidated conditions.

Homeless International has been working in Namibia since 2002. Last year it supported organisations in 15 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, helping over two million households access safe and secure housing.

Chris Kilbane, Group Head of Individual Support at Places for People said: “We are delighted to be supporting this fantastic initiative which will help improve the lives of thousands of Namibians living in poor housing and urban poverty. Almost one billion people live in slums, a figure which is likely to grow if urgent action is not taken to address the poor dilapidated housing conditions people find themselves living in.

“By investing in communities and providing safe, secure and affordable housing, organisations like Homeless International can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Homeless International’s Chief Executive Ruth McLeod, said: “I am delighted and impressed by the generosity that Places for People has shown. This kind of solid project support, which has been provided over a number of years, means not only that people benefit from decent housing, but also that Homeless International can obtain additional matching funds from other donors. This results in many, many more people benefiting in the long run.”

Homeless International is one of a number of organisations working to regenerate local communities across the world that Places for People supports. For example in Nicaragua it has funded a pilot project to provide solar energy panels that not only provides electricity for homes, but helps local school children to understand more about energy issues and the need to find alternative sources of energy.

In the last year the group has given over £100,000 in donations to charities such as the Royal National Institute for the Blind and the Asian Tsunami disaster.