The Gambia government has announced plans to build 200,000 affordable houses for citizens amid rising cost of rent.

Responding to questions in parliament, lands minister Hamat Bah told lawmakers: “we want to build affordable houses for Gambians.  We have requested 200,000 houses in the next 10 years. We are starting with 10,000 houses by December 2025.”

He said the government will engage the UN Habitat, Shelter Afrique and BADEA to mobilise funds for the project. 

“What we have left to do is to design the project, have the concept note and the cost,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Finance has also invited the IFC to support the creation of a housing mortgage bank in The Gambia which will facilitate this housing vision.

The member for Busumbala Muhammed Kanteh asked the minister to explain the availability of reserved lands for residential areas, arguing that the minister is making a political statement and trying to avoid answering on the availability of government reserved lands, and what steps he is taking to address those state reserved lands that have been tampered.

In response, Bah said lands were identified in certain settlements for a proposed housing scheme for civil servants and identified reserved lands for residential purposes are located in Old Yundum, Youna, Jambur and Mamuda. He however stated that recent inspections indicate sporadic developments and encroachments on these reserved lands.

Also, as demanded by NAMs, the minister provided a list of government layouts allocated since 2017 but said he needs time to compile the list of beneficiaries.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba