LUSAKA – Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Wednesday launched a project that would see the construction of houses for poor people across the country. The "Buy A Brick Campaign" project will see the construction of 1 000 decent houses for the poor people.
The project is being supported by the Stanbic Bank which has partnered with the government.
"This noble campaign should sound a clarion call to action on delivering decent housing for all our people, especially the poor and vulnerable. This project demonstrates that with unity of purpose, and commitment, one brick at a time, decent housing can be achieved for all," he said.
The Zambian leader said the need for decent housing, both in urban and rural areas, keeps growing because of the increasing population, adding that international human rights law recognizes every person's right to decent housing.
According to the Zambian leader, the country's population of 17.5 million people, with 60 percent living in urban areas and 40 percent in urban areas, has outpaced the rate at which decent and affordable housing could be put on the market.
The government, he said, has recognized housing development as a means of reducing developmental inequalities and increasing access to decent housing for all citizens.
Our national Vision 2030 has identified access to adequate and affordable housing, safe and clean water and proper sanitation as being among challenges that the country must overcome on our journey toward a prosperous middle-income country by 2030, he said.