Phale Demands Repairs Before Government Rent Increase

By Dean Chisambo……….

Salima Central West Member of Parliament Enock Phale has urged the Ministry of Lands to prioritise maintenance of government houses before implementing a planned rent hike.

This follows an announcement by Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu in Parliament on Tuesday that government will revise upwards rentals for public houses.

Phale welcomed the move to improve revenue collection but expressed concern over the poor condition of most housing units, saying many have gone years without proper maintenance.

“The intention to revise rentals is a good idea, but there was a need to first assess the condition and value of these houses. Most have not been maintained for a long time,” said Phale.

He added that tenants would better appreciate the adjustment if the houses were first improved.

Phale also called for a review of operations at the Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC), citing inefficiencies in past projects, including a 2012 contract for security houses at Chilumba Garrison that was reassigned to different contractors.

He questioned the corporation’s reliability, noting that despite borrowing funds for housing projects, it struggles with loan repayments. Phale proposed restructuring MHC into two entities — one for development and another for management — to improve efficiency.

Under his proposal, the management arm would oversee housing units through local councils, with support from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Meanwhile, Chipungu defended the planned rent adjustment, commending ministry officials for the proposal. He said government currently manages 224 houses under the Department of Housing, while MHC oversees about 6,400 units, with rental rates remaining below those of the private sector.

“We are adjusting the charges to align with prevailing market conditions,” said Chipungu.

He, however, did not disclose the percentage increase, stating that rates will vary depending on location.