Kampala — PUBLIC servants are to get house loans under a government scheme starting this year, state minister Michael Werikhe has said.

The loan deal, the housing state minister added, would be financed from the sale of government pool houses.

"The proceeds have been retained in the sector to increase access to mortgage financing," Werikhe said.

He was speaking at the opening of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat Africa Chapter at the Parliament buildings.

Werikhe said the ministry was almost ready to implement the project.

The Government, he said, was putting money into the Housing Finance Bank to enable public servants, who did not buy the pool houses, to acquire loans.

Werikhe said his ministry was also working with that of tourism, the Swedish Cooperatives Centre and the Uganda Cooperative Alliance to revive the housing cooperative movement.

"This is going to be a housing delivery mechanism for affordable housing for the majority of Ugandans, particularly in the urban areas," he noted.

The ministry also plans to upgrade slums, starting from October.

Opening the conference, Speaker Edward Ssekandi said about 100 million people are homeless.

The association's head, Margaret Zziwa, said 14% of Ugandans live in urban areas.