FHA, Katsina to partner on housing

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Katsina State government have reached an initial understanding on a partnership for the delivery of housing for the people of the state. The initial understanding followed a presentation to Governor Aminu Bello Masari of a partnership blueprint by FHA’s Managing Director, Professor Mohammed Al-Amin in Katsina. Al-Amin who […]

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Katsina State government have reached an initial understanding on a partnership for the delivery of housing for the people of the state.
The initial understanding followed a presentation to Governor Aminu Bello Masari of a partnership blueprint by FHA’s Managing Director, Professor Mohammed Al-Amin in Katsina.
Al-Amin who was   accompanied on a business visit to Katsina by members of his management team said the geometric growth of the major cities in the state and the fast growth of other towns, the availability of housing raw materials in large quantities as well as the teeming population of employable youths could be trained and engaged in construction were conditions that favoured mass housing development in the state.
He said the authority’s different delivery models such as social housing, commercial housing and public-private partnership were platforms on which a successful partnership could be built with the state government.
The FHA chief executive added that t the state government could engage the authority in direct construction of houses using its funds or with the authority’s funds and off-takers commitments.
Other funding windows, he said, were tripartite or bicameral partnership with foreign investors, funding from international development groups, direct intervention through coordination of self-help community housing projects and the enhanced internally generated revenue of the state through improving the system of fees collections such as premiums and ground rents.
Al-Amin also invited the state government to partner with it in job creation through the housing and construction industry.
That, he said, involved value chain improvement in activities related to housing and construction, engaging youths in municipal waste management for income and environmental sanitation as well as collaboration with foreign investors on housing cottage industry in the local government areas.
Al-Amin also proposed job out-sourcing for the two FHA new town development at Bwari and Kwali in the Federal Capital Territory, job training, support and engagement of youths in residential alternative energy production as well as support and job training and outsourcing in FHA’s Homes Security and Protection Programmes.
Responding, Governor Masari, who had with him his top officials, thanked the FHA for coming up with the partnership blueprint which he said was coming at a time the government was looking towards the housing sector to provide relief for the people of the state.