Harare To Reclaim All Housing Stands That Have Not Been Developed
The City of Harare has announced plans to reclaim all housing stands that have not been developed, sparking anxiety among thousands of stand owners. The decision, which forms part of the city’s Draft Master Plan 2025–2045, signals a major shift in urban housing policy.
According to the proposed blueprint, all undeveloped residential land will be repossessed within a month of the final gazetting of the master plan. This includes stands held by individuals, housing cooperatives, and self-help housing schemes.
“The city intends to repossess all undeveloped land within one month after the gazette of the master plan,” reads part of the document now on public exhibition.
City tightens grip on idle land
The move is expected to affect hundreds, possibly thousands, of residents who acquired stands years ago but have failed to build due to financial, legal or logistical constraints. The city said leases for housing stands would not be renewed, starting immediately.
“With immediate effect, the council will not renew housing leases,” the Draft Master Plan states.
The policy is part of a broader proposal to place a 20-year moratorium on allocating new housing stands, in favour of focusing on rented accommodation such as walk-up flats through public-private partnerships.
As of July 2025, the city’s housing waiting list had grown to 288,885 applicants, and 43 percent of Harare’s households were living as lodgers, according to the draft.
Deadline looms for objections
The city has given residents, developers and housing cooperatives until 16 October 2025 to lodge formal objections or representations. These must be submitted in writing to either the Town Clerk or the Director of Urban Planning.
“Any person or organisation wishing to object to or make representations on the plan must do so in writing on or before October 16,” the notice reads.
The Draft Master Plan has been made available for public viewing and includes detailed statistical data, aerial photographs, maps and development models. Officials say the plan is aimed at responding to rapid urbanisation and the pressure on housing and infrastructure in Harare.
What it means for stand owners
This latest development could potentially strip individuals of stands they have legally acquired but have not yet developed due to costs or delays in servicing land.
Some affected residents took to X to express concern:
“I bought my stand in 2018 and was saving for materials. Now they say they want it back?” wrote one user.
“This is unfair. Some areas have no roads or water. How can we build?” another commented.
The city has not yet clarified whether partial developments or valid reasons for delay will be considered. There is also uncertainty over whether owners will be compensated for any improvements already made on the stands.
While the city argues the move is meant to address land hoarding and speculative ownership, critics have raised fears it may disproportionately affect poor households that struggled to raise construction funds.
The focus on rented housing, while welcomed by urban planners, has also raised eyebrows among homeownership advocates, many of whom fear it could undermine long-term empowerment and property ownership.
“The new housing policy is a shift from ownership to tenancy. We urge residents to study the Draft Master Plan and make their voices heard,” said one housing rights campaigner.
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The post Harare To Reclaim All Undeveloped Housing Stands, Owners Who Failed To Build At Risk appeared first on iHarare News.
