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By Jamesetta D Williams
The Managing Director of the National Housing Authority (NHA), Florence Kateka Geegboe, has sounded a strong alarm over what she described as a “deepening housing crisis” in Liberia, revealing that more than 17 percent of the population continues to live in slums under poor and unsafe conditions.
Speaking recently, Madam Geegboe said Liberia’s housing situation remains critical and needs urgent attention from both the government and its development partners. She noted that studies conducted across the country’s 15 counties show that Liberia needs over 200,000 new dwelling units to reduce overcrowding, an additional 163,035 units to match population growth, and at least 4,891 units to replace old and damaged houses.
“We need a total of 512,000 urban housing units by 2030,” the NHA boss disclosed, citing figures from the UN-Habitat 2014 Liberia Housing Profile. “Sadly, little progress has been made, and we continue to rely on outdated statistics because the situation has not changed much.”
According to Madam Geegboe, one of the biggest setbacks is the absence of a functioning national land bank and financial institutions to support housing and mortgage initiatives. “We do not have the institutions that can finance or refinance housing projects, and our former land bank is completely depleted,” she lamented.
The NHA Managing Director further revealed that the authority has completed a comprehensive proposal under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, targeting 27 housing projects between 2026 and 2029, with an estimated cost of US$16.8 million. She said the proposal also includes the drafting of the National Housing Trust Fund and Civil Servants Housing Assets Act of 2025, which seeks to create a financial guarantee mechanism for investors and development partners.
“Across Africa, 16 countries already have national housing trust funds. We need one too if we want to attract partners and guarantee their investments,” she emphasized.
Madam Geegboe also called for the amendment of the outdated National Housing Authority Act of 1960, describing it as obsolete. The proposed amendments according to her, will give the authority regulatory powers to license builders, enforce construction standards, and monitor building quality.
“Some houses collapse within a week of being built because no soil testing or proper foundation work was done,” she said. “We want the authority to regulate construction so that people’s lives are protected.”
While stressing that government alone cannot solve the housing problem, the NHA boss disclosed that five Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) have already been signed with private developers to begin housing construction. However, many of the projects remain stalled due to a lack of prepared land and financing structures.
She added that establishing mortgage and refinancing institutions, creating investment-friendly policies, and operationalizing the National Housing and Agriculture Bank are crucial steps to attracting investors and driving development.
Drawing lessons from Ghana, Madam Geegboe said Liberia could learn from the West African nation’s robust real estate sector, which is expected to reach $456.11 billion in 2025. “Ghana’s housing success is built on strong public-private partnerships and government investment in infrastructure,” she noted.
In a passionate conclusion, Madam Geegboe referenced the biblical story of Nehemiah, who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem despite adversity. “Like Nehemiah, we too must rise to rebuild,” she said. “I call on all Liberians, at home and abroad, to join hands with us to rebuild our housing sector and restore dignity to our people.”