By Chisomo Phiri
Second Vice President Enock Kanzingeni Chihana on Thursday challenged the Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) to adopt innovative and sustainable financing models to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing across the country.
Chihana made the remarks when he hosted an MHC delegation, led by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Chimkango, at his office in City Centre, Lilongwe.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways of accelerating affordable housing delivery, expanding housing financing options for Malawians, and leveraging public-private partnerships to address the country’s housing deficit in line with the Malawi 2063 development agenda.
The Second Vice President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every Malawian has access to decent and affordable housing.
He further encouraged the corporation to explore both local and international financing opportunities and develop sustainable funding models that maximise land use while remaining faithful to its mandate of providing affordable and decent housing to Malawians.
On his part,Chimkango, who was accompanied by Director of Technical Services Matthews Mwadzangati, outlined MHC’s ongoing and planned housing projects, including dedicated housing schemes for civil servants aimed at improving staff welfare and enhancing staff retention in the public service.
He said the corporation is currently rolling out affordable housing models in urban and peri-urban areas to enable more Malawians to own decent homes through flexible financing arrangements.
MHC was established in 1964 with the mandate of providing affordable and decent housing to Malawians.
In 2016, its mandate was expanded to allow it to operate as a commercial entity while continuing to deliver on its public housing responsibilities.
