Housing facilities for 22,000 families this year

The National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) which is the main implementing body of the national housing development programme, completes its 30th anniversary this year.

The NHDA was established under the Parliament Act No. 17 1979 in April.

To mark the 30th anniversary measures have been taken to launch a national housing programme to provide housing facilities to 22,000 families this year. The total cost for this programme will be Rs. 1,500 million.

Action has been taken to implement this programme in rural areas where the majority of the people are living as well as in the urban areas mostly affected by housing problems and also for estate workers in plantation areas.

The Gama Neguma, the foremost housing programme will also be implemented in 2009 targeting rural areas.

With this programme it has been targeted to provide housing facilities to 6,000 families at a cost of Rs. 400 million. Out of this Rs. 400 million, Rs. 200 million will be invested by the loan recoveries of the NHDA and balance Rs. 200 million will be met by treasury fund.

3,000 families will benefit with the proposed housing programme to be implemented in 2009. It has been planned to implement this programme at a cost of Rs. 250 million, with the financial assistance of Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Facilities.

The Jana Sevana housing programme will be continued. This programme is mainly implemented to provide housing facilities to the poorest of the poor community who cannot construct a house by obtaining a loan. This housing programme is implemented with the financial assistance of Sevana Lottery and philanthropists.

Under this programme it has been targeted to provide housing facilities to 1,000 families who live in shanties and temporary structures, at a cost of Rs. 50 million. It has been proposed to construct a housing flat 770 housing units, for Government servants at Homagama with financial assistance of the Chinese Government. Construction work of the programme will commence in 2009 at Homagama.

The Chinese Government is expected to invest Rs. 400 million for this project and the Sri Lankan Government will invest Rs. 100 million.

Measures have been taken to construct another new housing project with the assistance of Iran. Rs. 70 million will be invested by the Iranian Government.

The NDHA has given priority to transfer the ownership of houses so far constructed islandwide to recipients of the houses. Under this programme, titles deeds will be provided to 7,000 householders. In addition to this the NHDA has planned to provide plots of land to 1,500 families to construct their own houses.

The NHDA has also planned to renovate 2,500 housing flats constructed in Colombo City and several other urban areas.