Unfair Housing Distribution

A housing ‘problem’ in Luderitz has recently been brought to our attention, concerning housing distribu¬tion to long term residents. An example we heard of was a couple who have been Lud-eritz residents since 1978 and still live here. They began their time here sharing single quarters with another family until they moved out because of overcrowding, when a lot of people began moving here searching for employment.
They moved to a shack in the area now known as Old Location, but a fire in 2000 burnt down their house and consequently all their belongings. The family then applied for municipal hous-ing or the funds to build for themselves, but never re¬ceived anything so moved to another shack to rebuild their lives from scratch. Another fire in 2004 destroyed their house, but thankfully this time they managed to save a few things.
Once again they went to the Town Council who told them they were busy constructing new houses, but their name was on the wait¬ing list so they just had to be patient.
They have now been on the waiting list for 10 years and are still being told that the new houses are for those living in single quar¬ters. They have been prom¬ised that they will have a bet¬ter life soon. Single quarters is a settlement in Benguela that was built many years ago and Old Location is the area of shacks opposite Diaz Fishing Centre.
This seems to be a common story. Many fami¬lies in this situation believe our Town Council to be corrupt. Apparently, in other towns, people who have lived in the town for at least 25 years get priority, but here it helps to know someone in the Council. Another rumour is that town council members buy the houses and rent them to people, therefore making money themselves.
This opinion is also shared by upstanding mem¬bers of the community, and they feel that if more born and bred Buchters were members of the Town Council, then the system would be fairer.•