The leader of the Sierra Leone Housing Corporation is one of the few people I have met with a heart and compassion to build low cost homes. Unfortunately they don’t have resources to develop. They have not build a low cost house since 1989. Those they have built have been taken or sold off. All that remains is 58 high end houses providing an income stream to pay the rent and spend time in court.
I understand that many in government occupy these houses and pay well below market rate for the rent and some just don’t pay! Others occupy the homes for negligible cost whilst renting out their own homes at market value. They have a small savings and loan part but as people don’t see them as being able to build homes then few save!
We met the head of the privatisation commission who is looking to sell the 58 homes which could provide cash for a new housing initiative. They key though is land. SALHOC has no land left that it controls so impossible to proceed with any initiatives without it.
Their heart and passion is great and we stay in touch as it may be we can partner with them once their business model is sorted. In the meantime we are looking at their designs and costing for low cost homes and if we are able to work with them on a dormant training facility that produces bricks and roof tiles.
It is encouraging to see this leader determines to bring change, having to overcome so many obstacles