Low cost the focus as Dodoma public staff housing project nears take-off

DAILY NEWS Reporter

THE construction project of 100 units for public servants by Watumishi Housing Company Limited (WHC) in Dodoma is expected to commence this month.

The WHC Public Relations and Sales Officer, Ms Maryjane Makawia, said at the ongoing Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the project is part of the 500 units expected to be constructed in Dodoma Region.

“This is good news for public servants in Dodoma Region, giving them ample opportunity to own and live in decent homes,” she said. She said one special thing with the project is the sale of finished and semi-finished houses to public servants at various prices.

Ms Makawia said the semi-finished houses would be sold at prices ranging between 15m/- and 20m/- while the finished units would be valued at 56m/- and above. The sale of semi-finished houses is a new window for public servants who fail to purchase finished houses.

“The difference between finished and semi-finished houses is small, thus giving public servants with low income chance to own decent homes,” she added.

She urged public servants to give priority to purchasing WHC houses because they are sold at affordable prices than building their own, that would most probably be unmanageable.

She said civil servants wishing to own a house can start paying by instalments during the project implementation period that will exempt them from paying interest rates.

WHC has 50 hectares of land at Njedengwa investment area in Dodoma that could accommodate 500 units. It has all the basic infrastructures, including water, roads and electricity.

He said the government decision to shift its seat to Dodoma would foster demand and sale of the houses in the region. A total of 729 housing units were constructed in the first phase in five projects undertaken at Magomeni, Bunju and Kigamboni in Dar es Salaam, while other schemes were implemented in Mwanza and Morogoro regions.