Lira Residents Get Titled Houses for UGX 25M

The Uganda Cooperative Alliance together with Enterprise for Housing Development (EHD) is constructing a housing estate for the people of Lira City.

At Gwengabara village, Boroboro parish in Lira City's East Division are over 40 plots, each with a freehold title whose selling price ranges between 6.6 and 9.9 million shillings. The land has electricity, road access and piped water connection.

A housing block for four families has four units each with a single bed-room, self-contained with a sitting room and a kitchen, complete with a beautiful compound and back yard garden, going for 25 million shillings. This money can be paid in installments. Those interested in only renting pay 100,000/- per month.

However, an interested person can opt to purchase a plot, avail a design for his or her desired house and it is constructed on the plot.

Currently, a sample house accommodating four different families has been constructed on one of the plots.

Morris Odich a secondary School teacher is one of the four families living in the house.

Odich did not have a permanent home for himself. However, through this initiative, Odich is now able to secure a descent apartment for himself and his family.

He says moving to this unit is a blessing since he had always had problems dealing with land lords demanding for rent.

“Being a low income earner, I have no ability to purchase a house or land to start construction.”

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“In a month I’m only paying 100,000/- for my unit which has a bedroom, sitting room, bathroom and a kitchen. So if you compare with the same house being owned by private individuals within Lira City here you will find that you are better because nobody will be willing to give you that house at 100,000/.”

Isaac Emmanuel Okwir, a resident of Lira City believes that this initiative if embraced will organize the new city and spur development since the cost is subsidized.

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“You may want to buy a piece of land but when you buy land in an area which is not planned it comes with a lot of challenges. For example, to process a land title for someone who does not have much money might take a while.” he says.

According to Uganda National Housing Policy of 2016, Uganda had then a housing deficit of 1.6 million housing units meaning majority of Ugandans do not have decent/ affordable houses and out of the 1.6 M, 210,000 units are needed in urban centers.

An estimated 900,000 housing units in the country needs improvement.

Ivan Asiimwe, the general secretary for Uganda Cooperative Alliance explained that Lira City was chosen as a pilot because the previous insurgencies which deprived its people of descent accommodation.

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According to Asiimwe, the house is not expensive to acquire as the materials used for the construction is not expensive either. He was however, very quick to note that this development will not replace the other work of the cooperative which involves agriculture.

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Meanwhile Morris Chris Ongom, the president Lira City Development Forum welcomes the development saying it will help in solving the problem of accommodation within the city.

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Ongom advised private land owners who may not be able to develop them to partner with investors to jointly invest for the betterment of everyone.

Enterprise for Housing Development currently has four housing units and over 40 plots with freehold titles sitting on a 3-acre piece of land.