The government, through the ministry of housing, is taking steps to address the dire problem of housing in the city.
And it will achieve this through an initiative, by the Housing Minister, to set up a housing policy steering committee.
The committee held its first meeting on Wednesday, Oct 25.
The Housing Policy Steering Committee is made up of the National Housing Corporation and line agencies, including the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, Justice and Attorney General, Office of Urbanization and the National Research Institute, among other stakeholders.
The Committee has been tasked to come up with a housing policy for PNG that is workable to address affordable housing, especially in cities like Port Moresby. The last housing policy for PNG was 23 years overdue for a review.
Heading the housing policy steering committee is acting NHC managing director, Kenneth Cooke.
Housing Minister John Kaupa said the O’Neill-Abel government, under its housing policy, will try its best to provide affordable housing for PNG citizens, and the committee will play a major role in achieving this.
While PNG continues to face the chronic problem of affordable housing, the Minister also acknowledged the fact that NHC over the years has a lot of controversial issues that hinder its progress to provide good housing for PNG families.
A lack of affordable housing has also forced the creation of many small settlements throughout the city that lack proper hygiene and sanitation, and that’s something the committee will also be looking into.