By Correspondent
The housing waiting list for Bulawayo has shot to 130 000 and the city is struggling to come up with programs to cover the gap.
Councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu revealed the new figures during a Land and Corruption Conference recently held.
In 2023 BCC availed more than 1 600 housing stands across the city.
However, it remains a minute intervention against the huge demand.
The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) is also developing a new upmarket suburb.
The suburb has 114 residential stands ranging from 3 500 to 9 000 square metres in size.
The estimated cost of developing the suburb, known as Willsgrove, is US$4,5 million.
BCC has also outlined 5 390 residential stands in its layout plans in line with the respective Master Plan.
Government has also completed constructing a US$17 million student accommodation complex in Bulawayo.
The multi-purpose flats complex dubbed “Bulawayo Students City” and is now ready for occupation.
It has 516 rooms that are expected to accommodate 1 023 students.
Again the numbers fall short of the wider need for housing in Bulawayo.
The housing backlog in the city has been a cause for concern over the past few years.
The situation has been worsened by the many private developers who have failed to complete their projects.
However, housing challenges are not unique to Bulawayo as the national housing waiting list totals an estimated 1,25 million.
