Condo beneficiaries exalt gov’t effort in meeting housing demand

ADDIS ABABA — THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD Newspaper 20 May 2016: Yetemwork Abegaz is uncertain about her exact age. She said that she was born in Hailesillassie’s regime. Estimating here age to be over 65-year, she blinks her eye with a little bit of smile due to the housing chances she has got recently on the housing program.
Most of her past life time passed with a house rent which she is not comfortable even to recall. The only thing that comes out of her mouth now is just praising God and thanking the government for the housing scheme which made her beneficiary. She said that she was paying over 1,000 Birr for a very small and single room. She indicated that she was facing difficulty due to the home owners pressure.
And Negasie Gebrehiwot is another person who become beneficiary from condominium house project. He is living now in Addis renting a house. But now he has heard recently that he is among the beneficiaries nearing to start living in his own house. Thinking even about living in his own house fills his heart with joy, he said.
After many years of living in rented houses having trouble in the price and the quality, he has now got a relief to live safely and in a secure manner. He said: “I have four children and now life will be simple as I will be more comfortable.”
The government is solving housing problems through introducing modern life style through the condos. And the public and the government should work hand in glove to tackle governance and rent-seeking issues in the construction sector, the respondents underlined.
Genet Dessalegn is another beneficiary. She is currently living at Ayer Tena. She is a mother of two. She said that she has spent almost 20 years in a house rent and suffered a lot psychologically in those times due to misconduct from the home owners.
She indicated that the prepayment and the total cost of condos has increased through time and that was challenging to cover the expenses but she is hopeful that she would cover it by working hard.
Zeritu Tesfaye, who is also another beneficiary of the recent condo lottery around Arat Killo, said that she is pleased with the government’s consideration of persons with disabilities in arranging a lottery draw. She added: “ We have got a house on the fourth floor but my husband has some physical impairment; so they considered that and changed our house into the first floor. And she is pleased with the government’s effort to meet citizens housing demand..
Over the last weekend Urban and Housing Development Minister Mekuria Haile in his presentation of the sectors nine-month performance report, said that his Ministry is working towards bettering the housing development program even if there are things that still need to be overlooked and remains to be done.
The public is commonly heard to raise issues such as the loose performance on the transfer of condominium houses in different housing programs and on the effectiveness of the supervision and support of the the Ministry on the overall housing programs.
Mekuria stressed that the Ministry is working towards professional development and in building capacity to accomplish the performance of the sector with a maximum effort.
City Construction and Housing Development Bureau Head Getachew Hailemariam on his part said during the report presentation that the administration will work to handling a better information on the sector in a bid to administering the sector effectively. Adding he said: “Issues related to transferring condos, governance and rent-seeking will be addressed soon with the joint effort of all stakeholders.”
BY YARED GEBREMEDEN