Habitat for Humanity Malawi (HFHM) has advocacy initiatives that focus on security of tenure. Security of tenure is vital for the families and communities we work with to be able to enjoy the full spectrum of housing rights and benefits. Security of tenure is the right to feel safe in one’s own home, to control one’s own housing environment, and is the right of individuals to be free from eviction. Lack of secure tenure often lies at the heart of poverty housing, depriving home beneficiries of even the most basic physical, economic and psychological security that comes with adequate shelter.
This is why HFHM through its Disaster Recovery Project with funding from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported the development of land certificates to all the 180 home beneficiries under the project. Today HFHM handed over the land certificate to 50 home beneficiries in Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba district.
Rights to land are not just a source of security of tenure, but also a basis of social relationships and cultural values and a source of prestige and often power. Lack of secure tenure contributes to inequalities in land, housing and livelihoods, as well as social exclusion, the violation of human rights, food insecurity, forced evictions, corruption and land and property grabbing.
When families have secure land tenure, they are more likely to invest in home and neighborhood improvements. HFHM will continue providing support for increased land tenure for all communities we serve. HFHM is closely working with the District Councils through the Department of Lands in efforts around land tenure.
