Recently, the Mayor of Freetown revealed that she is working on the commencement of work for the construction of 5000 housing units for low earners in Sierra Leonean capital. Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyer said Monday the project is targeted at slum dwellers.
She was speaking as she announced commencement of feasibility study in the slum communities and the potential areas where the housing projects will be hosted.
The World Bank supported project, under it’s Urban Resilience Project, is part of plans to decongest the city which is struggling to meet demands for social services due to over population.
Lack of housing has forced some Sierra Leoneans to live in dangerous locations, like slums, up steep hills and even under bridges.
Residents of the city’s over 70 slum communities are also posing a serious stress on the environment, as illustrated by encroachment into the sea.
Slums are also a major health issue for the Government, as they are susceptible to frequent outbreaks of Cholera and other infectious diseases.
The housing project is also part of Mayor Aki-Sawyer’s ‘Transform Freetown’ agenda.
“We are looking at how to upgrade some of the slum communities, but also there will be some movement,” she said.
She disclosed that three areas in the Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural are being assessed to host the new communities.
