The Ministry of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing (MIELS) has signed contracts with three selected real estate development companies for the construction of collective housing. The work was to begin with the dry season of 2023, but in vain. However, with these contracts, the first activities will be able to begin as early as September 2024.
The contracts signed between the Ministry of Infrastructure and three real estate development companies selected for the construction of collective housing will allow the first construction activities to begin as early as September 2024.
Announced with great fanfare, the national social housing policy was slow to start. A year later, contracts were signed on Friday, August 30, 2024, between the Ministry in charge of Infrastructure and the successful bidders to begin work on the Socarti sites in Bujumbura and Izege in Gitega, which could lead to a certain revolution in this sector.
“We gave them 60 days to carry out geotechnical studies, prove their financial capacity and conduct other feasibility studies. They have therefore demonstrated their commitment and their capacity to produce the expected results,” said Mr. Dieudonné Dukundane, Minister of Infrastructure. The companies selected are: Ubaka Nation Group for construction in Izege; NBCO/H& D International real estate development and Inspire Design Studio for the construction of collective housing in Socarti.
What about the evolution of this policy?
Dieudonné Dukundane, Minister of Infrastructure, announced that these contracts will allow these companies to begin the first construction activities. “To our satisfaction, they have been in contact with the financing institutions. We have also made approaches to these institutions, which have confirmed their availability and willingness to support this program. This therefore encourages us to sign these contracts, so that the companies can begin the first construction activities for collective housing as early as September 2024,” he explained.
As a reminder, this national social housing policy aimed at reducing the cost of plots and rents, making viable land available and prioritizing high-rise construction on less fertile sites to preserve agricultural areas was adopted on June 7, 2023 by the Council of Ministers. However, it was delayed due to constraints mainly related to financial resources, because its implementation was to begin with the dry season of 2023. The stakeholders involved were the State, banks, cooperatives, microfinance institutions, construction companies, buyers and service providers.
Minister Dukundane also announced that 33,000 houses should be built each year, which would increase the country’s urbanization rate from 14% to 40% by 2040. About 50,000 people have registered to apply for social housing, especially in the municipality of Bujumbura.
On the Socarti site, 1,600 apartments were to be built as social housing.
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