ZAMBIA HAS REAFFIRMED ITS COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DURING THE RESUMED SECOND SESSION OF THE UN-HABITAT ASSEMBLY HELD IN NAIROBI FROM MAY 27 TO 30, 2025.
SPEAKING AT THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION, MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, HON. ENG. CHARLES MILUPI, STATED THAT ZAMBIA IS CURRENTLY FACING A CRITICAL HOUSING DEFICIT OF 1.5 MILLION UNITS—A FIGURE PROJECTED TO DOUBLE TO 3 MILLION BY 2031 DUE TO RAPID URBANIZATION.
ENG. MILUPI EMPHASIZED THAT ZAMBIA LACKS SUFFICIENT INTERNAL RESOURCES TO CLOSE THE HOUSING GAP AND IS SEEKING SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.
“MORE THAN 2.8 BILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY LACK ADEQUATE HOUSING. IN ZAMBIA, WE ARE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT UP TO 2 MILLION PEOPLE. WE NEED PRACTICAL FINANCING MECHANISMS,” HE SAID.
HE HIGHLIGHTED ONGOING EFFORTS, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, SUCH AS THE ONGOS VALLEY PROJECT IN THE MFEZ AREA, AS PART OF ZAMBIA’S BROADER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
THE MINISTER ALSO ANNOUNCED PLANS TO INTRODUCE HOUSING BONDS AND TO UPGRADE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS NEAR CITY CENTRES INTO HIGH-VALUE RESIDENTIAL AREAS—WITHOUT DISPLACING CURRENT RESIDENTS.